Borderline
by Rapid P. Saiko
Summary: Intense multi-chapter story: Post-Grev, When old and new enemies appear, Kai and tyson tip toe the line between friendship and romance. Will they have the courage to cross that line? Or are they safer apart? Warnings: Swearing, lemons, blood, torture, character death. Parings: Eventual KaiXTyson, side pairing BryanXTala, Ray,Mariah,Max love triangle. -COMPLETED-
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, if I did HBO would give me a contract because there would be so much sex, it would make the makers of Game of Thrones blush.

* * *

Beyblade; that was the name of the game. His passion. His obsession. He loved the feeling of being one with his trust-worthy and beloved phoenix, Dranzer. In a beybattle, nothing mattered but you and your opponent. Race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, status and wealth meant nothing; only skill and sometimes luck. He brought his best to the dish every time, which is why he had been the best…had been…until a blader came from out of the blue. Oh sure, Kai had trounced him the first time, but this kid hadn't given up like the others had. Their second battle had been a draw, and that battle was the first time he had witnessed the child's power and met the spirit of the ancient blue dragon that resided in the boy's blade. Then came their third battle and that child- Tyson, won.

They say you could learn a lot from losing and Kai discovered that he had a lot to learn from the teenager.

Tyson brought more to the dish than anyone could ever imagine. Learning from every match, the dual-haired teen watched in fascination in how the baseball-capped, loud-mouth, uncouth, obnoxious, over-confident rookie progressed into the world champion- three times over.

As Kai had stood there, frozen to that small slate of ice after betraying his teammates, stolen the bitbeasts from those that opposed him, certain that death would take him, that boy had reached out to him. Begged for Kai to let him save his life. He realized then what that boy brought to the dish that no one else had…heart. The sheer love of the game, deep-respect for his opponents and his faith in his own abilities set Tyson apart from the rest. His unrelenting will-power made him the best. Just like that Tyson had made Kai fall in love with the game all over again.

Immediately Kai's game improved significantly with this burning passion and his Dranzer's flames burned brighter than ever before. His newfound passion soon turned into obsession and nearly 2 full years later, he had found himself face to face with his rival once more. That time it was in a packed stadium, fighting for the title of world champion- but more importantly- after all the battles and painful losses and training, which of them was truly the best?

That battle had been absolutely wicked.

Their very souls had been pressed up against each other, they had somehow read each other's every move, coming up with the perfect counter for every attack. Their beasts arised and literally brought down the roof. Every impact of their blades sent shockwaves that shook their bodies to the very core. Then, when their final attacks collided, he and Tyson were transported to a place where the universe spread out before them, over a sparkling sea and they laid on a beach as shooting stars passed overhead. He had felt so alive then, that he was capable of anything.

Ever since then he and Tyson had been trying to reach that place, but every time they tried, there was always a fear of the battle getting out of hand and seriously hurting an innocent bystander or creature; as even the friendliest of matches now had explosive results.

What they needed was a beystadium- something they both felt right at home at, where they could unleash their full power, completely customized to withstand both Dranzer's and Dragoon's mightiest attacks. His eyes widened, but what if _he_ was the one who could customize a beystadium? Make it have protective, energy absorbing walls?

When he had turned 18 he had inherited all of his grandfather's estates, finances and most importantly- Hiwatari Enterprises, a prestigious military company that specialized in small and ordnance weapons. Mr. Stanley Dickenson, the chief director of the Beyblade Association or BBA, and a long-time mentor and friend to him, Tyson and their teammates, offered his guidance to help him completely take over the company, legally. Their first order of business was dismissing anyone who was associated with Biovolt.

God, that day had been glorious! Nothing like seeing a bunch of old geezers' tremble at the sight of Dranzer, before hauling ass.

The perk of being the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company? Money was no longer an issue.

His mind traveled back to the beystadium. All he had to do was design the damn thing. He ran his fingers through his ash-tone bangs. His drawing skills made Tyson look like Davinci (despite how well he could paint his iconic blue triangles…that took an alarming amount of practice and some days, they really did look like shit.) He needed someone who he could trust, who knew exactly what their bitbeasts could do and could design the stadium down to the last detail.

He smirked when a certain nerdy brunette came to mind. Walking over to the phone, he was about to pick it up, when he remembered that the Chief really didn't do phones. He went over to the computer and sent off an email instead, hoping it wouldn't take too much coaxing for the young genius to agree to his plans.

He looked around his small one-bedroom flat. It was decored with memorabilia of his years of blading. Old team pictures and blades were placed safely in a glass case.

He smiled sadly, the flat wasn't much different from the one he owned when he went to Whitney Prep School, where he met Wyatt. Still, nearly four years later, the boy's death shook him. He still blamed himself and wondered what things would be like if he had taken the eager blader under his wing. That battle he had with Gokei only proved how much Wyatt's death affected him. But Tyson was there, he was there to talk sense into him, to help him remember who exactly he was fighting and _why_ he was fighting in the first place. In the end he had gotten his revenge, completely shattering the bitbeast responsible in the process.

Still…no one deserved Wyatt's fate.

He was forever grateful to Tyson, not once did he mention his complete lack of composure after the battle. Only patting him on the shoulder and telling him how brilliant his final move was. He needed that.

That was one of the Dragoon Wielder's more admirable qualities; he was a really good friend. As proven in their last epic battle, he really did understand Kai on levels that no one else ever will. His unwavering faith in him made Kai push himself to be better than what his grandfather had raised him to be. It made him want to be a better person all together.

Somewhere, deep in his heart Kai knew he would always be there for his teammates. His first instinct was to protect them, as their leader and as the physically strongest member on their team, he would take the most vicious and devastating attacks if it meant the others would be safe. He wasn't sure when or how it happened, at first it just seemed like it was his responsibility, now if someone so much as looked at them funny, he wanted to crack open their skull. On the other hand, if he was the one causing them pain, it was perfectly acceptable. Had he accidently adopted a big brother role?

…he was surprisingly okay with this realization…

A sudden 'ping' brought him back to reality. He went back to his laptop to find a reply from Kenny. /Wow Kai, I wasn't expecting to hear from you! It's a good thing though! I would be more than happy to help you with your project. What is it?/

The Russian decided to cut it straight to the point. /Thinking of building a stadium that can handle Dragoon and Dranzer without destroying the place. Do you think you could design this: yes or no? /  
This way he could avoid a long-winded answer.

Seconds ticked by like centuries before Kenny replied./Can I ask Judy's team for help? /

/Yeah, just don't tell the entire world about it. /

The next reply was instantaneous. /Then yes. Give me a week and I'll come over with the initial specs. /

Kai's face broke into a grin, apparently there were more benefits to having friends than he had initially thought. /One more thing, / he typed / don't tell Tyson or the others. /

/Will do Kai. /

He relaxed in his leather director's chair and looked out the window. "Tyson, looks like we'll have our rematch after all."

* * *

True to his word, by week's end, the little genius showed up at his front door with several blueprints in hand. Kai let him in and over tea they discussed finances. "So explain to me how this energy-absorbing, basically nuclear explosion-proof glass will only cost me 50 grand?"

The boy sighed. "Because they're doing it for the challenge and not the money. If they succeed it will be revolutionary technology, they only wish they had thought of it sooner."

"Hn. Whatever."

"I'll take that as approval." He returned to the blueprints. "So overall, you're looking at around five million, and a total of ten months of construction."

"Make it six."

"Wha-?"

"Hire more men and get it done in six months." He gave a half-hearted glare so Kenny knew he was serious, as he sipped his tea.

"O-okay then."

"Is that everything then?"

"What about the tournament?"

"I'll announce it once the stadium is complete. Not a word about it until I say so, got it?"

Kenny nodded. "I got it Kai. Though I gotta say it's nice that you're finding other ways to battle Tyson other than just switching teams."

"Hn."

Taking that as a cue that he should leave, Kenny grabbed his things and headed for the door. As he was putting on his shoes he looked back and said "By the way, you should come visit the dojo soon. Tyson has been more than a little mopey and lost since everyone went their separate ways again. When it comes time to train again, I can only push him so far. It's always been you who has inspired Tyson to go as hard as he can. Keep that in mind." He then walked out, leaving the former team captain plenty to think about.

Kai sighed, feeling a little guilty. It had been a few months since he last spoke to any of his former teammates. Sorting out everything with Hiwatari Enterprises had kept him busy. He did do what he could. He made sure to send presents to Ray, Max and Kenny on their birthdays, and he actually made an appearance at Tyson's.

If he was being completely honest with himself though, work had nothing to do with it. During his last battle with Tyson, he realized that his feelings for the bluenette went far beyond friendship. They had this weird connection and understood each other better than they understood themselves. To put it bluntly, he was completely in love with the boy.

In the battle with Brooklyn, where he had laid his own life on the line, it wasn't just so he could get his revenge, nor to reclaim his pride and standing…it was to protect Tyson and to inspire him to win his following matches. He had asked himself why so many times, but when Tyson smiled at him, with that confident, happy-go-lucky grin, he had his answer.

So now, he was avoiding him. It's not like he feared Tyson ever ending their friendship if he found out, the kid was friends with a damn robot for Christ's sake. But, he knew the pain of rejection all too well. With his father walking away from his family for blading, and his mother basically ignoring his presence after that, and being raised in the abbey…he had enough rejection to last a lifetime. But deep-down his biggest fear was, that if Tyson didn't feel the same, they would lose that connection between them…forever.

But the thought of the boy being unhappy gnawed at his insides.

Cursing Kenny to all hell, he changed into his battle outfit, quite happily ditching the tie for his silky scarf, applied his face paint and grabbed his smartphone (in case the company decided to fall apart in the next few hours) and most importantly, Dranzer, and he headed out the door.

As he walked towards the dojo, he wondered when was the last time he went for a walk just for the hell of it. It felt like ages! Deciding that he had time, he stopped at one of his old haunts to see if his furry friend would be still lurking there. "Meko?" he called out hesitantly down the alley.

At the sound of his voice, a black feline poked its head out from one of the crates and came up to him, meowing a greeting before brushing up against his leg. He bent down and pet her and she started purring. Noticing the feline's bulging belly, he ever so gently touched her stomach, gasping when he felt movement. His cerise eyes suddenly filled with worry. "You on your own?" The soon-to-be-mother meowed over her shoulder. A strong-looking orange tabby appeared from behind one of the crates and cautiously approached Kai.

Kai sighed in relief. She really did need a mate like this. Getting an idea, he tore a piece of fabric from his scarf and held it in front of the male. "Listen, if she needs help, come and find me." As if understanding, the tabby nuzzled his hand and allowed the scarf to be tied around its neck.

Petting the cats one last time, he continued on his walk. Looking down at his hand where he felt the miracle of life, a small, soft smile graced his lips. There was a part of him that wondered if he will ever have that.

As he neared the dojo he could hear Tyson's grandfather doing his morning kendo practices. As he neared the archway, his heart began to race and for a split second he didn't know if he was more terrified to see Tyson, or to never see him again. Shaking it off, he braced himself, as Grandpa Kinomiya was more eccentric and lively than what he was used to.

"Hey K-man! Long-time no see, how's it hanging?" the elder greeted as soon as he saw his grandson's friend.

"Hn."

Unfazed by the man's reaction, the martial artist just laughed. "As talkative as ever I see. Well no need to say too much. Stanley has told me all about your excitement the last few months. Gotta say I'm proud of you little dude! To be honest we were a little worried that you would just burn down the place."

Warmth and happiness filled his being. How the old man could care so much was beyond him. All he knew was that he felt more at home here than anywhere else. "I won't lie, Gramps, the idea may have crossed my mind once or twice. Tyson still sleeping?"

"You bet your beyblade he is. I'm hoping that seeing you will break him out of the funk he's in, ya feel me?"

"Yeah." He looked to the sky, it was a beautiful Saturday morning, not a cloud in sight. "He's not going to like me today, I can tell you that much."

"Sometimes being a friend isn't about whether or not they like you. Sometimes it's about you giving them what they need."

Kai smiled, "Hn." and walked into the dojo, heading directly to Tyson's room. Outside the door he could hear the world champion's obnoxious snoring. He opened up the door to reveal the teenager on his back, wearing a yellow night-shirt, a pair of baby-blue boxers, and one hand at the side of his pillow and the other draped on his chest. Thinking back to how Hilary used to get him up, he slammed one hand on the floor. "TYSON!" he bellowed.

…nothing…

Ok, this was going to be harder than he thought. He grabbed a bucket of cold water and threw it on the sleeping boy.

…nope…

Left eye twitching in irritation, he grabbed one of the many kendo sticks that were around the house, and gave a mighty swing, smacking the headboard.

…Bloody hell. Could anything wake this kid up?! This was the entire reason why he left waking duty to the others. He was about to leave and find a firehose when he noticed the ends of his scarf were tickling the teen's nose and Tyson was _actually stirring._

Feeling mischievous and playful, he gently guided the scarf so it was under the teen's nose and wiggled it slightly. The heavy sleeper pushed the fabric away and rolled onto his right side. Kai waited a few seconds before resuming his tickling. Tyson batted the material away and changed positions. This was actually becoming quite fun, almost like teasing a cat, the Russian continued his actions until Tyson finally got smart and laid on his stomach. Kai was about to give up, when he noticed the small of Tyson's back exposed. He lightly tickled the area and Tyson shot up out of bed laughing. "Hey, hey! That's just playing dirty!"

Kai chuckled. "Well I tried nearly everything else."

Tyson froze, he knew that smoky voice anywhere. Slowly he turned around to see his rival, a confident smirk playing on his lips. "Kai! Long-time no see Bud!"

Seeing Tyson's welcoming smile, the Phoenix Master wondered why he had taken so long to come back. "Well, I do have a company to run." He said smugly.

"Doesn't mean you can't at least call!"

"Hn."

A playful grin appeared on Tyson's face. "If you need help installing a phone in your fancy new office, I'm sure the Chief would be willing to help."

"Y'know I was considering going easy on you Kinomiya, but you just earned yourself five laps."

Tyson blinked. "What? We're training today? Why?"

"So you don't go soft on me."

"Damn, I was hoping there was going to be another tournament or something so we could get the team back together!"

"Well after the damage that you did to the last stadium, people are hesitant to host any tournaments that include the G-revolutions, but…you never know."

Mahogany eyes stared at him inquisitively. "Okay, spill it."

"Hn?"

"You're acting like you know something, which usually means that you do. Also you don't really associate with me unless there is a tournament going on. And last I checked, it's not my birthday." He grinned.

Damn, just when he needs Tyson to be the clueless, happy-go-lucky teen, he decides to be observant for once…maybe some of his mental training did sink in after all… "Okay, so _maybe_ I heard something up the grapevine and _maybe_ I just need a break from work. You'll never know."

Tyson patted him on the shoulder. "Either way, it's good to see you Kai. You're welcome anytime."

"Admit it, you missed me."

Tyson brightened. "Did I ever! You training with me or am I running laps all by myself?" he said as he started throwing clothes on.

Kai smirked, noting the challenging tone in Tyson's voice. "Hn. Just try to keep up."

"After breakfast, or probably in your case, lunch. Do try to eat more than just a breadcrumb." He teased.

"At least I never had to miss a match because my eyes are bigger than my stomach."

"Hey! That was _one_ time! I could have SO taken him." The Japanese teenager protested.

"Kenny blowing on you was enough for you to lose your balance. You may have had a chance if your opponent passed out due to the noxious fumes coming out of your ass."

Before the younger could make a comeback, Gramps called "Hey little dudes, are you going to stand there flapping your lips all day or are you actually going to be doing something productive?!" The pair were suddenly aware of the aroma of eggs, rice and bacon."

"Coming Gramps!" Tyson hollered. When the boys entered the kitchen, they were surprised to see Kenny there, sitting at the table. "Oh hey Chief!" Tyson greeted happily. Kai simply glared down the boy with a look that screamed _shut-up or die._ "Kai and I are going to do some training today because this is Kai's weird way of taking a break from work apparently." He started loading his plate with enough food to feed three people. "You sticking around?"

"Yeah, that sounds like fun. How about while you two are doing your exercises I upgrade your blades for you?" Kenny offered, pulling out his laptop.

"Yeah! That would be sweet Chief!" The world champions each pulled out their most precious possession and left it in their friend's care while they ate their breakfast. The bluenette smiled when he saw Kai with an actual decent-sized portion on his plate.

"So what's the regimen today, Kai?" asked Kenny.

The dual-haired bladed sipped his orange juice. "5 mile run, 500 push-ups, 250 squats, then launch practices and finally sparring." He waited for the Dragoon wielder to start complaining but was shocked when the teen only put on his trademark baseball cap.

"Alright let's get started!"

* * *

Y'know at first, Kenny was really excited for Kai and Tyson to be training together again, but soon as their 5 mile run started, it became apparent why they needed Max and Ray around, and holy beyblades did they ever need them! Tyson and Kai's competitive natures completely overthrew logic, reasoning and above all, SAFETY!

The 5 mile run had started as a light jog, but then they started fighting and now? Well those two maniacs were free-running all over the city and by free-running, he meant jumping from one rooftop to the other! They were trying to out-do the other in acrobatics and speed. The bladers had a habit of pushing each other beyond their limits, but this was utterly insane! They had been going hard for about 3 hours now! The mousey brunette had been desperately trying to follow them after their race had started, but after the second time they passed him, he had completely given up and just settled on focusing his attention on their blades. How much power the duo had was truly astounding and it inspired him to re-create their blades from scratch so that they could handle both theirs and their bitbeast's power. Luckily Judy had sent him a bunch of new beyparts with a mixture of new metals to experiment with.

Simultaneously he was adding information on what kind of beydishes the new stadium should have. Watching them train was definitely a wake-up call on how big the stadium needed to be. He would have to talk to Kai about that later.

An hour later both champion bladers collapsed in front of him, both were breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. Kenny sighed and put away his equipment and ran over to them with a case of water bottles, carefully placing them into the exhausted blader's hands. It was a full 5 minutes before they registered their gift, before finally putting the life-giving fluid to their lips. Each gave a grateful smile.

"I. Think. We. Can. Call it. A. Draw." Panted Tyson, his blue bangs sticking to his face.

"Yeah." Kai agreed, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his own slate bangs soaked with sweat. "How many miles chief?"

"Let's just say you both just broke a bunch of world records. You have been running for 4 hours and 27 minutes, at a speed so fast, I'm surprised the X-men haven't found us yet."

"Hn. One team is enough for me, thanks." The Russian scowled, making Tyson chuckle.

"Oh come on! You could be like Wolverine!" teased Tyson.

Kai smirked. "He wishes he could be half the badass I am."

Kenny just looked at the pair incredulously. By all means they should be dead or at the very least laying in a hospital somewhere! Instead they were laughing and joking like they hadn't just been running all afternoon.

"You know, Kinomiya, I think we can skip the main course and go straight for dessert. Chief our blades?"

Yup, these two were defiantly crazy. Kenny gave them each shiny new versions of Dranzer and Dragoon. "They still have the same cores, so no need to learn how to control them, but everything else has been changed to a lighter and sturdier metal that will increase your spin velocity and withstand more powerful attacks. Though there is a new core I'm designing myself, that you might have to learn in a few months or so."

"So what you're saying is that we can battle but not go all out." Confirmed Kai.

"Exactly."

"Fine. Ready your blade Kinomiya."

The boys prepared their blades over a large dish that they had set-up at the beach years ago. "3…2…1…LET IT RIP!" cried Kenny.

Blue and white blurs whizzed out of their launchers.

* * *

OH GOD they needed Max and Ray back.

The beydish, several trees and power lines were all destroyed and both bladers were on their knees, clothes torn, with cuts littering their bodies.

"Hey Chief. Good work on our blades." Tyson said weakly, holding up his Dragoon. "Not a scratch." His Dragoon glistened in the setting sun.

"Thank goodness for small miracles." Breathed the 16-year old, frowning slightly. "You guys okay?" Both Tyson and Kai seemed a little out of it.

"Yeah…just fine Chief." Said Tyson, as both he and his rival struggled to their feet. "Hey Kai, think we have might have overdone it?"

"No such thing." Kai stood up at last and walked up to Tyson. He watched the bluenette stand up, before swaying slightly. Kai's instincts took over and he caught Tyson before he fell.

"Help get me home?" whispered Tyson.

Without saying a word, Kai put an arm around Tyson and Tyson put an arm around him as they supported each other back to the dojo.

Seeing that sweet sight made Kenny remember why he had asked Kai to come back in the first place. Those two needed each other so much, even if they would never admit it. Silently following, to make sure they didn't pass out, he made sure they got safely to the dojo, before heading home to input all of his data.

Grandpa Kinomiya was just warmed by the sight of Tyson and Kai supporting each other. After witnessing firsthand what those boys could do, he had expected this to happen and had beds already laid out in the dojo for the both of them, which they unceremoniously passed out in. Tomorrow was Sunday, so he would be sure to be up early, in case Kai got up and decided to leave, in which case he would insist on breakfast.

Even though Kai was now an adult and perfectly capable of looking after himself, the old man knew he would never stop looking out for Tyson and his friends until he finally kicked the bucket. Especially Kai needed to know that he was always welcome in their home, no matter what.

* * *

So how was that? I watched Beyblade again and rediscovered my love, especially with the Kai and Tyson pairing. This is my first Beyblade story that I have been writing over the last few months and it has over 35 chapters so far. I will be updating weekly.

Also who should Ray be with; Max or Mariah? Write me a review with your vote!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: If I owned Beyblade it would've had more than 3 seasons.

So my mom is in the hospital, which is why I'm posting early in case I'm not able to later on this week, writing keeps me sane. (I also can't sleep because I'm worried and I'm going to visit her at the crack of dawn).

A special shout-out to my reviewers Lizzy and Little A Granger! You guys inspire me to keep going!

Enjoy the second chapter!

* * *

Everything…hurt…

Crimson eyes opened to the first light of dawn. He looked beside him and smiled. Tyson snoring away. He didn't quite remember when, but at some point the bluenette's snoring didn't bother him anymore. Heck, he downright missed it, some nights not being able to sleep, just because it was weird to sleep in such quiet.

"Dragoon, attack." The boy mumbled in his sleep as he rolled over.

Kai stared at the ceiling. It was Sunday, he could go in to work and deal with a bunch of idiots. He could train again with Tyson (which his screaming muscles were definitely were protesting against) or he could do what Max and Tyson always told him to do more. Chill out.

He ran his hand through his damp hair, frowning at the greasiness. He was in need of a serious shower. Slowly he sat up and pain rippled through his body. Man, he was out of shape. He looked down at Tyson. This scene felt so familiar. Him watching the boy as he slept. The last time…the last time was in _that_ place, where the universe spread out before them. That place he was so desperately trying to get back to, to get that invincible feeling again.

The funny thing was, he was experiencing that feeling, that intense, overwhelming feeling, right now. Just watching Tyson sleep. Just being alone with Tyson.

He felt happy, and happy was a word that simply was not in his dictionary, at least when it came to himself. Unfortunately there was another feeling creeping through. Desire. The more that he stared at the midnight beauty, the more he wanted to get closer. Hold him. Brush away his bangs. Kiss him.

Fuck. He used to be able to push away these emotions, before they became this intense. There was always other things to focus on: Biovolt, BEGA, invisible bitbeasts, dark bladers…ok think about something else, anything else…

Stadium. He would need to make it huge, maybe calling it Phoenix.

He definitely wanted to show Tyson his "phoenix".

…shit. Ming Ming! Think about that evil, pink-wearing, flowery psychotic bitch…

With her hands all over Tyson...

Ok, beyblading! Nothing like the power, the adrenaline…

Watching Tyson's sweat trickle down his skin, making his clothes cling to his lightly muscled form, his mahogany eyes burning with concentration…

…And now he had a raging, throbbing, rock-hard erection. That shower was no longer optional. Taking one last look at Tyson's sleeping form, he forced his muscles to move and made his way to the washroom. After locking the door, he looked in the mirror and groaned. He looked like something the cat dragged in. Baggy eyes, cuts and bruises everywhere… he made a mental note to buy more battle clothes, as these ones were completely destroyed.

He looked over to the towel rack, and his mouth fell open. Gramps had left out a set of his old clothes that he must have forgotten here _years_ ago. Tyson really had no idea how lucky he had it.

If only he could have the boy pinned underneath him writhing-

OK! Focus. Get in the damn shower.

He peeled off what was left of his shredded clothes and stepped inside the shower, hissing softly as the hot water cascaded down his skin. To his disappointment, his boner was ever present. He tried changing the water temperature to the point where he felt like he was standing inside a glacier. No use. Guess he had to do this the old fashioned way.

He grasped his long, thick manhood and, for once, allowed himself to think freely about his midnight haired angel. His beautiful, smooth, tanned skin. Long, well-muscled legs. His smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts. Those confident, captivating brown eyes. That perfectly round, perky ass that he was dying to grab. He thought of kissing him, caressing him. Devouring up every one of the teen's moans as he plunged further and further into the tight heat of his body. Tyson screaming out his name. His face when Kai would send him over the edge…

He let out a throaty groan as his seed splashed against the white tiles and his legs buckled.

Leaning his back against the wall, he breathed heavily. Oh yeah, he had it bad for Tyson. Way worse than he previously thought. Before he was just obsessed with beating Tyson, now, thanks to his stupid hormones, he realized it went a whole lot deeper than that. "Shit."

He turned off the shower and threw on his old clothes. The purple turtle neck was a bit snug, as he had gained a bit of muscle and height, but thankfully the grey sweatpants that had once been loose and baggy on him, now fit perfectly.

Still feeling exhausted, Kai did something he hadn't done since he was a small child. He went back to his borrowed bed and promptly pulled up the covers and let Tyson's snores drift him into the comforting world of slumber.

* * *

Cinnamon eyes opened to the rays of sunlight, completely blinding him. Using his arm to shield him from the light, he sat up quickly, his body then convulsed with pain, forcing him to lie back down. Trying to get away from the annoying light, he turned over and met Kai's sleeping face.

Well…this was a first. The man was _always_ up before everyone. Kai **never** slept in. He always spent his mornings training. Tyson couldn't help but take advantage of the rare and possibly, only, opportunity to take in his sleeping form. His face had a calm and peaceful expression on it, and he looked as harmless as a kitten. No one would ever suspect that this serene, handsome face, could turn into one of such malice and hate. Oh my god, were eye lashes that long even legal?! Studying his face a little he realized that his blue triangles were missing.

…He really didn't look like the Kai he had come to love and fear at the moment, but Tyson liked this hidden side of his former captain.

But his missing face paint meant that Kai probably got up and showered at some point this morning. That face paint didn't wash off for anything, Tyson hadn't even seen it remotely smeared, even in a down pour. It had come to the point where he, Kenny, Ray and Max wondered if the pyschos at the abbey had tattooed Kai's face as some sort of sick punishment.

He must've been staring for too long because crimson eyes opened. "Kaaaaaiiii, we over did it." He whined.

"Baby."

"Change my diaper and read me a story?" Tyson teased.

"Wise guy."

"You know it." He paused. "Kai?"

"Hn?"

"What kind of industrial soap do you use to remove your war paint?"

"Wha?"

"This is the first time I've seen you without it. It's weird."

Kai's eyes widened. Man, he had to have been super out of it to forget it. "Doubt you would be able to find me at work then. No war paint _and_ in a suit." He watched Tyson's eyebrows furrow trying to picture it.

"Weird. But it would be easy to find you."

"Oh?"

Tyson grinned. "Oh yeah, just head straight to the area that everyone is avoiding."

Kai allowed his lips to curve upward slightly. It was true. Everyone avoided him, terrified that he would fire them if they so much as breathed in his general direction, after he sacked most of the board and a couple hundred employees. "Hn."

"Kai?"

"I forgot how chatty you are," he sighed, "what is it?"

"I'm going to take a shower, will you still be here when I get back?"

Kai found himself almost smiling again. "Yeah."

"Cool." Tyson got up, wincing in pain, man he was really run down, and limped to the bathroom. Refusing to be alone with his thoughts, Kai decided eating something was probably a good idea and headed towards the kitchen. Gramps was there.

"Hey there K-man! I see you've found your clothes alright."

"Y-yeah. Thanks."

He put down his cold mask to let the old man see his gratitude, which said more than a thousand words ever could to the old man. "Just looking out for my little dudes! So, I heard you boys did a lot of damage at the beach yesterday."

"Hn." He grabbed the still-warm kettle and made himself some tea. "Just a friendly match."

"If that's a 'friendly match', I hate to see one where it's not so friendly. I still remember when that Bryan-kid sent Ray-man to the hospital."

"Bryan was fighting dirty." Growled Kai. "Tyson and I don't play that way." Knowing that Tyson took super long showers, the dual-haired man started making breakfast. "We bring our all to the dish and leave it at the dish. Even if we were pissed at each other, we wouldn't do cheap-shots like that." He turned on the rice cooker and started making scrambled eggs with a touch of cocoa powder, just the way Tyson liked them. "And if someone had the nerve to play dirty, Tyson could handle himself."

Watching his grandson's best friend work, Gramps smiled a knowing smile. Kai hated eggs. He knew because all the other times he had made them breakfast- no matter which way he made them- then teen never touched them, he was just too polite to say anything. As he watched the young man sprinkle the cocoa powder in, his smile widened. Kai may not be much of a talker, but his actions said everything, even things he rather keep secret. "There's sausages in the fridge too K-man." He watched the man, from the corner of his eye, almost lovingly put the sausages in the oven. Through the power of observation the older Kinomiya knew how much Kai loved sausages. It almost rivaled his grandson's love of bacon.

As Kai worked, he wondered to himself when in the hell did he get so comfortable here? Even after so long? There was a part of him urging him to say to hell with the apartment and just move in again, but his pride and years of conditioning under his grandfather's hand pushed those thoughts away from his mind. He focused on cooking, understanding why Ray loved it so much. He had been cooking more often since he moved into his apartment, as there was only so many times one could order Chinese food before they got sick of it.

Tyson walked into the kitchen just as he was finishing. He was fully dressed, but his long navy blue hair was still dripping wet. Kai watched the boy come to a halt and start pinching himself repeatedly. "What's with you?"

"Nothing. Just thought I was still dreaming since the 'Mighty Kai', Mr. Sourpuss, is standing in my kitchen making breakfast." He looked at his friend with concern. "Just how hard did I hit you with that last attack?"

Kai glared. "I'm fine Kinomiya, next time I won't be so nice."

Raising his hands, Tyson said "Hey, there's no need to be like that Kai! I was just worried!"

"Hn. Worry about yourself." Kai made sure to drop his mask and catch Tyson's gaze, letting him know he wasn't actually mad. He watched Tyson's face relax.

"Sometimes it's like you two can have entire conversations without saying a word." Laughed Gramps.

Tyson shrugged. "Well with a guy who barely says a sentence in a week, I had to learn some way to communicate with him."

"Hn." Kai smirked, really secretly happy that the teen had bothered to learn at all.

After filling their plates, Tyson's piled to the roof as usual, they sat at the table. Tyson immediately noticed the larger than usual helping that Kai took and sent him a small smile. After a few minutes, the teen was still staring. "What?" asked Kai, slightly irritated.

"Sorry. Just noticed your outfit, and for a second it just felt like we had to worry about cyber bitbeasts and robots again."

Kai sighed. "Idiot." He started his second sausage.

"Well you _do_ look 15."

"Hn."

"Seriously though," continued Tyson, "How often do you get ID'd?"

"I don't." he sipped his tea.

"Bullshit." Kai's glare sent shivers up his spine, effectively answering his question. "…Well that's just cheating."

"Not my problem if people are spineless."

"…I'm gonna try that."

"Like hell you will T-bone!" Gramps snapped. "Laws are there for a reason. No need to intimidate some poor sap to get a drink that makes your head go all funny, ya dig?"

His grandfather's glare rivaled Kai's and with both his grandfather and former team captain glaring daggers into his skull, Tyson could only put up his hands in defense. "I was only joking!"

"Kinomiya." Kai's voice was deadly. "If you ever show up to beybattle drunk, I **will** make you regret it." Tyson gulped and the table went silent.

After a few moments Tyson finally asked. "So when are you leaving Kai? It's nearly three."

…This was the exact reason why Kai hated sleeping in; it made you completely waste the day. "I want to run through some practice drills and work purely on technique. But I'll have to leave before dark, I have to be up before six."

Tyson brightened. This was Kai-speak for that he wanted to stay as long as he could. "Okay!"

Once they had finished their plates, they went out back and started a few drills…which had somehow turned into a competition. First it was breaking through boards. They set up 200, 3 inch thick wooden boards in a straight line. Kai broke through 150 on his first attempt before Dranzer stopped spinning. Tyson got to 170. Next try Kai got to 182 and Tyson 184. Next try Kai: 194 and Tyson: 193.

Mahogany met Crimson in a heated glare "LET IT RIP!" they screamed launching their blades at the same time.

 **BAM BAM BAM  
CRACK  
BOOM**

All that was left of the boards were splinters, there was a large hole in the concrete wall and their blades were still spinning on the other side.

They looked at each other in astonishment.

Next phase was maneuvering. Kai set up a bunch of soda cans and put them in the most intricate design he could think of and turned to Tyson. "Stack them into a pyramid."

Tyson's jaw dropped. "You're kidding, right?"

Kai smirked. "Unless 20 laps around the city is more to your liking?"

Tyson's happy-go-lucky smile was on full force. "Ok pyramid it is! Erm…can you show me first?"

Kai nodded. "Watch closely, I'm only gonna show you once." He launched his blade, Dranzer spinning at full force towards the cans. "The trick is to get the angle just perfect so they go exactly where you want them to, but also not splitting them in half in the process."

 **Ting Ting Ting Ting**

One by one the cans flew through the air and started piling on top of each other, forming the pyramid. Suddenly Dranzer hit a rock and flew over the cans. Kai focused, using his energy to guide the blade back to the ground, his blade then circled back and charged towards the remaining cans.

 **Ting Ting Ting Ting**

A few short seconds later a perfect pyramid stood.

"Oh wow, nice save Kai! That was amazing!" gushed the younger. They reset the cans again and it was Tyson's turn to spin. The world champion took a deep breath, "LET IT RIP!" Much to Kai's annoyance, and Tyson's shock, he had mastered it on the first try. "Kai! Kai! Did you see that?!"

"Hn. Pyramids are easy." His competitive nature taking over, he launched his blade at the tower, having it only resemble itself a few meters away. "See?" He had barely registered the fury in Tyson's eyes before he jumped out of the way, as the silver blur of Dragoon whizzed past him. Seconds later 2 smaller equal pyramids stood.

Tyson placed his hands on his hips and smirked triumphantly. "Yeah, a little too easy." His voice full of cockiness.

"Heh, two can play at this game Kinomiya." Dranzer attacked the pyramids and cans when flying through the air and they made 2 upside down pyramids that seemed to defy gravity.

Tyson scowled. "Show off. Wait till you see this!" his blade crashed into the cans, perfectly stacking them into a single tower.

"Well it's safe to say you mastered this," said Kai as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Let's see how Dragoon does with tight rope walking."

Tyson sweatdroped. "Why the hell would we need to know that?!"

Half an hour later, the world champion was floored, watching the small blue blade spin and jump from one small piece of wire to the next. "Ok, I know you sleep and breathe blading, but seriously, how bored were you when you came up with this?"

Kai's left eye twitched in annoyance, mostly because the kid was right. He had gotten so bored at the office that he had set up this exercise for the sole purpose of entertainment. "Zip it, Kinomiya and launch your blade."

"Okay, okay…grouch." Tyson launched Dragoon and it went on the first wire that was closest to the ground.

 **SNAP**

Tyson winced and tried again.

 **SNAP**

Again.

 **SNAP**

Tyson looked at his instructor helplessly, who was leaning up against one of the support beams of the dojo, grinning like the cat who caught the canary. "Figure it out for yourself."

"But Kaaaaaiiii." Whined the blader, "I'm not as smart as you!"

"Got that right," Kai muttered. "Push yourself. Think it through Kinomiya." He said sternly, marveling at his own genius, realizing for the first time how truly complicated this exercise was. This required a finesse that was completely opposite of Tyson's reckless, in-your-face and completely destructive blading style. Just rushing in was not going to work.

As Kai stood there, watching his rival figure out the exercise, his mind started to wonder. As the wind slowly combed through the long midnight locks, he felt the suffocating feeling of desire creep up again. The longer he watched Tyson practice, the feeling only grew stronger. Sweat made Tyson's clothes cling to his lean frame and Kai remembered yesterday. How he relished the closeness of their bodies. Tyson's strong grip on him, despite being on the verge of passing out.

A small part of Kai wished that Tyson had fallen unconscious, just so he could have held the smaller close as he carried him home. But he also knew that Tyson's strong grip was the only thing that had held him up. If Tyson had fell, he would have fallen with him. Then Kenny would have had to call an ambulance…Yeah…no thanks.

He resigned himself to just looking for now. Looking at the positively gorgeous specimen before him. He suddenly found himself locking eyes with Tyson. He panicked slightly, but kept his stoic expression. But Tyson's face only lit up when he realized Kai's attention was solely focused on him.

Suddenly, his technique got better. He was able to blade along the small wire without breaking it, though his blade was wobbling slightly. He excitedly cried "Kai! Man, are you seeing this?!"

Allowing a small smile to grace his features, Kai answered. "You're getting it." Apparently, even the small amount of praise seemed to give Tyson the confidence he needed and his blade stabilized. Kai watched the world champion look to him one last time for support, before he took a breath and willed Dragoon to make the small jump to the next wire. In making that jump, the ground wire snapped, but the blade landed on the next wire wobbling heavily. Tyson held his breath and to his delight Dragoon straightened itself out. "Kai! I did it! I did it!"

"Told you that you could figure it out on your own." He said, still smiling.

"Not just that, I needed the confidence as well." He gave the Russian a sincere smile, making Kai's heart beat faster. "Thanks Kai!"

"Hn. I did nothing." But he let Tyson see how proud he was. "Now just repeat that move a thousand times, then you _might_ be ready for backflips."

The 17-year old groaned. "You're such a slave driver!"

He smirked. "I try." _'I want you at your best when I defeat you, or else my victory would mean nothing'_ , he thought to himself. Looking to the sky, he frowned. It was nearly sunset and he had a company to run, even if he wanted to stay here and Tyson-watch instead. "Kinomiya, I'll be back next weekend to continue training. Keep practicing this until then."

Realizing that Kai was indeed planning on returning, Tyson smiled. "Okay. Get home safe, buddy."

"Hn. I'm the last person you need to worry about."

"I know, I know. If anyone tried giving you trouble you have Dranzer, but I still worry regardless."

"Hn. Idiot"

"Sourpuss."

"Imbecile."

"Jackass."

"Stubborn brat."

"Slave-driver."

"Insolent trouble-maker."

Tyson grinned. "And that's why I'm the best!"

Kai rolled his eyes. "Modest as ever."

"See you next weekend!"

"Hn."

Tyson watched his greatest rival walk into the sunset, his white scarf trailing behind him majestically. He clutched his blade. "We'll show him, Dragoon. We'll be ready."

* * *

When the Russian walked into his apartment and collapsed onto the couch. He was made painfully aware of how empty and cold it was. The silent stillness was unnerving. At one point in time, he would've done anything for silence after dealing with Tyson and the rest of their teammates, but now…it was lonely.

He shook his head. "I gotta get a cat or something."

He went over to his computer desk and turned on his laptop, pleased to see that the company could be left for a few days, without falling apart. There were a few emails, but nothing urgent.

 **Ping**

"What now?" he looked at the new email, and relaxed when he saw it was from Kenny. He chuckled. Nope, there was no escape from the brat pack.

/I think we need to make the stadium bigger. / The email read.

He ran a hand through his hair, so not in the mood to deal with this. /How much bigger? /

/2 square miles for the beydish. /

Thinking back to his and Tyson's '5 mile run', this was probably a good idea. /K. Budget increased to 20 million. Figure it out. /

/Alright Kai. /

* * *

Alright, slow chapter but I hope you all enjoyed anyways. Next chapter will be much more interesting, I promise! Please read and review, and remember to cast your vote for Ray to be with Max or Mariah…right now Mariah's winning!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Do you see me with hordes of money? No? Well looks like I don't own this nor am I making any profit.

A huge thank-you to Little A Granger and Tyka's Flower for reviewing! You guys are amazing with such kind words!

Warning: This chapter is graphic.

Enjoy the third installment of Borderline!

* * *

It was only Wednesday and this week was just going terribly. Firstly, the company _had_ fallen apart while Kai was away; just nobody had the balls to tell him. Monday was spent barking out orders and figuring out exactly where everyone had fucked up, it had all led up to one manager. Mr. Bigshot wanted to play CEO, despite the fact he had no fucking idea what he was actually doing. The entire thing turned into a paperwork nightmare and the 18-year old suddenly understood why his grandfather might find world domination a great alternative.

But still, Mr. Bigshot had guts and Kai could respect that, even reminded him of some rookie with a big mouth that he had met 5 years ago…If he was his grandfather, the man would have been fired on the spot.

But he was Kai Hiwatari.

He told the guy that instead of firing him, he was going to send him to do an intensive management training course, if he could pass the course, then he would get a promotion. He had never seen someone so grateful. Apparently the guy's sister and her husband had passed away recently and he was left their three small children.

After that Kai decided to do research into all of his employees backgrounds, to see exactly what he was dealing with- which took up all his time on Tuesday. Most of them seemed to have pretty normal lives, with a few exceptions; Jane in accounting, was a single mom of two kids after her husband has passed away last year. Kouichi, part of the research and development team, had his twin brother in a coma, in the same car crash he had also lost his niece and nephew. Yusei had stage 3 lung cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. The CEO made a mental note to give out generous Christmas bonuses.

This information led him to research his Human Resources Director, Lenin Morov. He remembered him from his childhood; a real nasty piece of work. It had been fun telling the prick that he had 15 minutes to vacate the premises before Kai called security. The fun became really interesting when the security guards had turned on him, apparently loyal to Morov. Idiots. He was a world class champion who had trained in the frozen tundra of Russia. Even with 4 against 1 odds…it really hadn't been a fair fight.

After he had mopped the floor with Morov and his men, Kai returned to his office and announce there was an opportunity for a promotion, and if anyone wanted to apply to have their resumes on his desk by 6am the next morning.

Which is how he came to be skimming resumes now.

Ideally he would prefer someone like Ray. Someone who could take a step back, hear all sides of the story, non-judgementally and be the voice of reason. Someone who genuinely cared about people, but not be such a bleeding heart that they would give up their couch to a complete stranger, like Max or Tyson.

He remembered that Ray had worked as a waiter, so maybe that was a good place to start, he scanned through the applications for those with experience in the customer service industry.

Commotion in the hallway caught his attention. "Sir? Sir! Wait you can't go in there!" he heard his secretary demands seconds before his office door burst open, and in walked the only person in the world who could get away with barging into his office, uninvited; Tyson Kinomiya.

"Kai-buddy!" greeted Tyson, "Told ya it would be easy to find you!"

His secretary appeared from behind Tyson. "I'm so sorry Mr. Hiwatari! The boy, he just…walked through!"

 _'That's because he has more balls than you do.'_ "Its fine, Kagouchi. Leave us." His secretary left, and crimson eyes narrowed at his former teammate. "What do you want Kinomiya?" he was taken aback when the navy-haired teen offered a cup.

"Coffee- 1 cream, 2 sugars, just the way you like it, right?" The CEO gave a small nod and accepted the steaming drink. The teen then pulled out a small brown paper bag. "Also I grabbed you a blueberry bagel, since I figured it had been awhile since the last time you ate." Kai accepted the pastry as well and gave a small smile. Taking that as an invitation, Tyson took a seat, and took a bite of his own bagel. "School let out early after a pipeline broke, flooding the girl's washroom. Since Gramps had a class today, I didn't want to bother him, so I figured I'd come to see if you needed any help instead. Especially since you're usually too busy to pick up a phone." He gave a cheeky grin.

"Are you seriously volunteering to do actual work?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

Tyson scratched the back of his head and gave a sheepish smile. "As long as math isn't involved and it gets you out of here faster…yeah!"

Amused now, Kai tossed over half the stack of resumes. "I'm looking for a new Human Resources Director. Ideally, someone like Ray would be perfect for the job." He explained.

Tyson stared at the thick stack. "So…just judging from the pieces of paper, I have to find someone who has the same qualities as Ray?"

"Welcome to my world." Kai sipped his coffee- damn it was good- was that a hint of cinnamon? "I'll personally conduct the interviews myself."

Realization brightened Tyson's eyes. "So anyone I pick, you'll actually give an interview to?"

"Pretty much."

"Wow, I had no idea you trusted me this much."

 _'You're then only one I trust this much…'_ "Hn. Start with anyone who has been in the customer service industry."

"I'm also going to look at teaching experience and volunteer work. Perhaps anyone who has any schooling with possible intentions of becoming a doctor or psychiatrist."

Kai just stared completely astounded. He watched hazel eyes read through the application, before a small frown etched it's way on the world champion's face before he set it face-down on the desk and moved on to the next one.

The CEO then seized the opportunity and posted 4 job openings for security positions. He silently wondered, if he asked, if Tyson would help him go through those applications as well?

An hour later they narrowed down the stack to 6 possible candidates, which Kai called personally to set up their interviews for the next day.

"Alright, are you ready to blow this stuffy place and get some fresh air?" grinned the Japanese teen.

"Yeah."

The pair left the building and began walking to their spot near the river, when a familiar feline rushed up to Kai.

"MEOW!"

Noticing the familiar fabric of a certain white scarf around the orange tabby's neck, Tyson glanced at Kai. "Friend of yours?"

"Something like that." The orange cat tugged on Kai's pant leg and realization dawned on him. "Take me to her!" The tabby then took off running, with Kai rushing after it, with Tyson following.

"Kai! What's going on?" shouted Tyson.

"His mate is pregnant, and there must be something wrong. I don't have the time to argue with you, so if you're coming, be prepared for the worst."

The boys followed the cat through the busy streets and narrow alleys of Beycity. It wasn't long before Kai realized that they were headed to his place, and was suddenly grateful to Tyson. If it hadn't been for him, he may have not been out of the office for another several hours. When they got to the building, a very distressed Meko was laying on his front doorstep.

"Kinomiya, door." He ordered, tossing him the keys. When he approached the panting cat, he gave her a soothing rub behind the ears. "Stay with me girl." Gingerly, he picked up the Queen and ran through the door his friend held open and placed the cat gently on the couch.

Grabbing a pair of gloves from his medical kit, he checked Meko's vulva to see exactly what they were dealing with. A green-yellow discharge leaked. "Kinomiya, I need you to grab one of the cardboard boxes in the storage room and lots of towels and cloths."

"I'm on it Kai."

The Russian pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number he knew by heart. "This is Kai Hiwatari, I need to speak to Dr. Donetov **now**." As he waited, Tyson wordlessly brought him everything he had asked for, Kai then started building a nest for the expectant mother.

"Alright Kai, which one of your furry friends needs my help today?" chuckled the doctor, his voice was warm and friendly.

"It's Meko, Dimitri. She's in labour and I suspect that she has an infection. The discharge is yellow-green." He stroked the black cat, hoping it gave her some comfort.

"Alright. I'm in surgery right now. I'll be there when I'm finished. You know the drill." With that he hung up.

Kai growled. "Useless swine!" He pulled out a stethoscope from his medical kit and listen to his patient's heartbeat, before visibly relaxing. Taking out a rectal thermometer, he took her temperature (earning him a hiss) to discover she indeed had a fever. He pinched her skin gently, checking for dehydration and checked her gums, which were pink.

He turned to Tyson, who was watching with fascination and worry, petting the orange tabby. "I'm not going to argue with you tonight, if you want to stay, stay. If you want to leave, go. But if you're staying, be prepared for a rough night. Meko has a uterus infection, which may make the birthing process long and difficult, which may result in her neglecting her kittens. The good news is that the infection doesn't appear to be in her bloodstream, but I won't know for sure until Dimitri runs some tests, whenever he gets here."

"Alright. What do you need me to do?"

"I'll tell you when the time comes." He picked up the black cat and placed her in the nest he had made, when she got comfortable, the male cat laid down next to her and began to lick her gently as she curled up against him. With nothing more to do other than to wait, Kai turned on the TV."

For a minutes they sat in silence, until Tyson asked "So, you've done this before?"

"A couple of times. Enough to know what I'm doing."

"I see. What's the big guy's name?" gesturing to the tabby.

Kai looked up thoughtfully. "Kouken. **(1)** " he decided.

"Suits him."

* * *

It wasn't until after 7pm when Meko's loud mews alerted the boys.

"Showtime." Kai grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and gave it to Tyson. "Record the time of birth for every kitten, and if I say kick Kouken out, don't argue-just do it."

Worried that the stressed Russian might snap at him, Tyson said nothing and nodded in understanding.

Loud, painful howls caused both boys to snap their heads in Meko's direction. Looking closely, Kai saw the slippery dark sac emerging from behind her tail. In a matter of seconds the baby was out and the mother started licking the kitten vigorously. "Time of birth: 7:04pm." Watching Kai sigh in relief, Tyson tentively asked "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, she's taking care of her little one and Papa isn't attacking either of them. Father Cats can be unpredictable."

"Oh." They watched the little family, both parents licking their child clean, until it was an adorable fluffy ball of fur. Before long, pained mewls started up again, and Meko delivered another healthy kitten.

"7:31 pm." Said Tyson, his voice wavering and his eyes a little misty.

"You okay?" asked Kai, a touch of concern in his voice.

"Yeah. Just thinking about my own mom is all." Sniffed the teenager. "Usually I try hard not to think about it. I just wish I knew her."

"How did she die?" Kai asked softly.

"Some unknown diseased killed her when I was just a baby." Tyson took a breath, trying to regain his composure. "I wonder if she would be proud."

"Tyson. You're the second best beyblader in the world. You've helped save the world. If she was anything like you, she would be so proud and never shut-up about you to her friends." Kai felt his heart soar when he heard Tyson laugh.

"Yeah, you're right Kai." He paused. "What about your mom?" He watched the older tense and he winced. "Sorry, forget I asked."

The Russian looked at his rival, surprised. Tyson was growing up. "Let's just say if my mother gives a damn about me, she doesn't show it. Not entirely sure if my parents ever loved each other."

"That's rough man." Folding his arms behind his head and staring up at the ceiling, Tyson said. "But if you think about it, none of us really have 'normal families', well except for Kenny. I was raised by my grandfather, you raised yourself, and Ray lives in a weird little village in the middle of nowhere and was raised by cat people. Max splits his time between his parents, going back and forth across the world, despite his parents being totally in love with each other." He sweatdropped. "We really should force Kenny to spend more time with his family."

"Hn."

They sat in a comfortable silence, but Meko's distressed cries soon broke it. They watched as not one, but two kittens were born, but this time the mother didn't seem to be doing anything. Both kittens were both still in their placentas and didn't seem to be moving. Kai's heart stopped. "Shit." He threw a pair of rubber gloves at Tyson, and soaked two small towels in warm water. "Kinomiya, I need your help." He delicately picked up one of the babes and put it in Tyson's awaiting hands, before picking up the other one. "Carefully rub the cloth around the mouth, where the amniotic sac is, and clean up any mucus, like so." He demonstrated and Tyson copied. After a few seconds the one in Tyson's arms began showing signs of life, the one in Kai's still laid motionless. Thinking quickly, Kai cut the umbilical cord, and gently began swaying the baby up and down like a pendulum. After a few swings, mucus spilled out of the kitten's mouth and it started breathing. Cleaning the kitten off, he returned it back to its mother and Tyson did the same with his.

They shared a smile as the kittens started nursing.

"Kai?"

"Hn."

"You just saved two babies."

"Your point?"

Tyson grinned. "You are the most badass blader ever."

"Like there was ever a doubt." He grinned back wickedly.

* * *

It was just after one in the morning when the doctor finally arrived, Meko and Kouken were the proud parents of seven healthy kittens.

"It's about time you got here!" Kai hissed angrily.

"Yes, well let's see you do brain surgery." Glared the doctor, though he softened when he saw the family. "How many kittens make it?"

"All seven of them." Kai said smugly. "The twins gave us a scare though."

"Us?" asked the doctor, he then saw Tyson sitting on the couch, his brown eyes watching him curiously. "Hi, I'm Doctor Dimitri Donetov, I've been helping Kai with his strays for a few years now.

"I'm Tyson. You should have seen it doc! Kai was a real hero." The teenager said proudly.

The doctor chuckled. "Kid, you have no idea. This guy is a real big softie when it comes to cats. I saw him fight of a pack of 8 dogs to save a kitten once."

Big chocolate eyes looked up at his friend. "Wow, really?"

"Yeah. It was pretty amazing." He turned his attention to Meko. "Now how's our tough mama doing?" He checked her over and took a blood sample. "Well she definitely has an infection, but I don't think it poses any danger to the babies. Here's some antibiotics." He tossed an orange bottle of pills at Kai. "The good news is she has no tearing and seems to be recovering well. I'll e-mail you once I have the results and will be back in a week for a check-up. What's your plan for these cats? Do you want me to take them?"

Kai looked at the family. "I'm keeping these ones."

"Little rascals managed to worm their way into your heart, huh?" teased the doctor. "Alright, I'll bring a bag of kitten food with me next time. Get some sleep boys." With that the doctor left.

* * *

Kai awoke to his alarm blaring annoyingly. 5 am. Even by his standards, this was just too fucking early. Feeling a warm weight on his shoulder, he froze and looked down. Tyson was completely passed out and was using his shoulder as a headrest.

"Cute." His heavily sleep-deprived mind supplied. Ugh. His head was killing him.

If he didn't have all those interviews today, he would happily reposition him and Tyson so they were both laying on the couch and take the day off. But reality was; he did and he also had to make sure Tyson went to school…

…oh fuck it. His interview was at 9. If he woke up Tyson at 7:30 he could drive the teen to school for 8 and be in his office for 8:30 easily. Clutching the Japanese boy to his chest he maneuvered them so he was laying on his back (which his sore muscles appreciated) and Tyson was laying on top of him. He reset his alarm for 7:30.

As he heard the cats purring and he felt Tyson's slowly rising and falling chest, he realized he was once again happy. If time could just stop here, life would be wonderful. He buried his face in Tyson's navy locks and let his summer storm scent carry him off into nothingness.

* * *

When his eyes opened, Tyson found himself disoriented. He knew he wasn't in bed, so where was he? What the heck was he sleeping on? Tilting his head up, he met with his rival's sleeping face. The previous night's events flashed through his mind and he remembered. He was in Kai's apartment, he watched the birth of seven kittens and now he was laying on Kai's chest, with Kai's arms around him. He blushed. Kai was _cuddling_ him?

Best. Morning. Ever.

He buried his face into his rival's chest. It struck him how right this felt. He felt so safe and secure in the Russian's well-toned arms. Kai's fiery scent encased him. Could he just stay here forever?

The alarm's sudden screeching killed those thought pretty swiftly. "Ugh." He looked back up at Kai as he shut off the alarm.

"Morning." Tyson greeted.

"Hn."

…apparently Kai was more of a grouch in the mornings. He then felt himself being pulled closer.

…Or maybe not…

For a few minutes they laid in silence. Neither wanting to move. Kai finally spoke "I'll drive you to school. Get up." Tyson obeyed and walked into the kitchen, turning on the coffee maker and popped in some toast. He watched from the corner of his eye Kai unbutton his white blouse, revealing a set of washboard abs before disappearing into the bedroom.

Tyson was now turned on, jealous and slightly insecure about his own body.

Kai was simply gorgeous.

Pushing away his emotions, he prepared Kai's coffee and peanut buttered toast, put two more slices of bread in the toaster and poked around the fridge for some juice. When he turned around, Kai looked a lot fresher than he had 5 minutes ago. He found his face being attacked by a purple cloth.

"You have amniotic fluid and blood on your shirt, change into that." Looking down at himself, he saw his friend was right and quickly peeled off his yellow shirt and put on the purple garment. He didn't notice the hungry look in the Russian's eyes as he revealed his tanned, leaned body. He handed Kai his breakfast and quickly downed his.

"You ready to go?" Asked Kai grabbing his keys.

"Yeah." He followed his friend out the door and around the corner where a shiny black Lamborghini with blue accents was parked. "How do I keep forgetting that you're loaded?"

"Because I usually don't shove it people's faces." Kai looked back at the car. "…Usually."

They climbed in, belted up and Kai turned on the ignition and the engine roared to life. Showing off a bit, Kai switched gears and sped out into the streets.

Before long, they arrived at Tyson's school. The navy haired teen gave his friend one of his biggest smiles. "Thanks' Kai. Drive safe and say hi to Meko and her babies for me."

"Hn." As Kai watched his friend leave, he felt the overwhelming urge to grab Tyson's arm, pull him back in and kiss him senseless. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, he watched the teen until he was inside then drove off. It wasn't till he was several streets away, stopped at a red light, did he finally let go of his composure. Running a hand through his hair he sighed. These feelings were only getting stronger. Already this morning he had shamelessly cuddled the boy, damn neared jumped him when he took off his shirt and had almost kissed him good-bye.

Yet, he couldn't get enough. He was hopelessly addicted to the storm that was Tyson Kinomiya.

For the first time he was happy to go into work. Happy to concentrate and think about anything that didn't involve slamming the world champion against a wall and ravishing his body.

* * *

When Kai entered his apartment that night, he noticed how much lighter the air was compared to just a few days ago. The soft purrs and mewls of his cats warmed his heart. Kouken greeted him by rubbing himself against his leg. He changed their water and re-filled the half-empty food dish and sat on the couch.

Ok, he officially missed Tyson. He looked at the time 9:44pm. In 24 hours he and Tyson will be at the dojo watching a movie or something. He smiled. One more day.

His phone rang, seeing Tala's number, he frowned but answered it anyways. "What."

"You're building a beystadium!?" came the excited voice.

Kai's eyes narrowed. "Who told you?"

"You've set aside 20 million in your account, what else are you going to use it for? A. You're getting married. B. You're bailing someone out of prison. C. You're building a beystadium."

"Just shut-up about it." Kai said, rubbing his temples.

"No. Tell me what's going on or I'm telling everyone."

"…Don't you have some 3 year olds to blackmail?"

"This is better."

"Fine. I'm building a beystadium. Happy?" Kai sneered.

"Nope. Details."

"It's going to be able to withstand the most powerful bitbeasts, without being dangerous for the spectators."

Silence.

"You're challenging Tyson again."

Fucking Tala… "None of your business."

"Ok. Do me one favour?"

"What would that be?"

"Make it have really big washrooms with toilet paper that doesn't itch."

Silence.

"You're fucking Bryan."

Silence.

"Was I that obvious?"

"Totally. But good job, just how sore is your ass?"

"…Screw you."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Like I'm going to believe you're the seme in that relationship."

"At least I'm getting some. How goes the pursuit of your little dragon?"

 **FUCKING TALA!** "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Fine. Be that way. You really should just tell him and get it over with though."

"I walk alone." He growled. "Now if you value your Beyblade, keep your mouth shut about the stadium." He smirked as he heard the red-head gasp at his threat.

"You wouldn't!"

He smirked. "Wouldn't I?"

"…Fine."

"Good." He hung up, feeling exhausted. He got up and checked on his cats. Then yellow caught his eye. Tyson's yellow shirt was discarded on the floor of his kitchen. Smiling softly at his friend's forgetfulness, he picked it up and held it to his face. Tyson's scent washed over him.

He went to his room, stripped down to his boxers and got into bed. He put the shirt up to his face, the stormy scent slowly lulling him off into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

So there is some adorableness for you guys! Next week is where the plot comes in and the story picks up. You ready?

Please drop me a review letting me know how you enjoyed this chapter!

(1) Kouken means guardian


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Nope, still a broke single mom. I still haven't stolen the rights to Beyblade...yet.

A HUGE thank-you to everyone who has favorited and followed this story and a special thank-you to my reviewers: Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, kyuubi, lizzie and adbhut! You are my drive to keep updating this story every week!

Lucky for you guys I managed to edit this chapter a little earlier than planed.

My mom has been out of hospital for awhile now and she is healthy and happy. We thank-you for all the well-wishes.

Now on to chapter 4!

* * *

As the day dragged on, the thinner Kai's patience became. It seemed whenever he was finished with one stack of paper work, another seemed to take its place and his phone. Was. Constantly. RINGING! One of his undercover employees discovered that his grandfather had another abbey-like facility right here in Japan. At the moment he was trying to find out the exact location of the building. If his Grandfather wasn't rotting in a high-security prison cell, Kai would happily kill the bastard. He ran a hand through his hair. This was total bullshit.

His secretary's voice broke into his thoughts. "Sir! You can't go in there!"

"Watch me!" came Tyson's voice as the double oak doors to his office were blown right open. "Hi Kai!"

"Kinomiya." he nodded. Said boy held up what Kai assumed to be coffee and bagels, the CEO gave a simple nod and Tyson took a seat.

"I'm so sorry sir!" his scrawny, balding secretary appeared in the doorway.

"Kagouchi, this is an acquaintance of mine. Unless I'm in a meeting, let him in." Kai casually took a sip of his coffee.

"Ah. Right sir. Sorry sir." the man slunked back to his desk.

Kai unwrapped his blueberry bagel and he realized he hadn't eaten anything since the previous morning when Tyson made him toast. At once he began feeling better, the caffeine soothing the headache that had been ailing him behind his eyes.

Hold on...since when did Tyson sooth his headaches instead of create them?

"Something's bothering you." Tyson stated.

"Hn?" for some reason his heart started beating faster.

"You keep looking at the phone, and you kinda look like you have seen a ghost. Something happen?"

...Since when did the teenager get so damn observant? Well since he knew most of the damn story anyways... "We found another abbey here in Japan. Same premise, taking in talented beybladers and using them for their own experiments and turning them into soldiers. This time they've covered their tracks pretty well, so we're having a hard time finding the stupid place." He glanced at the phone again, glaring at it.

Brown eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh man. So some sickos are using kids as lab-rats? How many places could even hide a full-out lab like that? I mean the abbey kinda stuck out like a sore thumb." he took a bite from his chocolate-chip bagel, crumbs flying everywhere. "Any chance they changed the name?"

Kai's eyes lit up in realization. "Or maybe the lab is the front." he started furiously typing. Tyson got up and ran around the large desk to take a look at the screen, leaning over the billionaire's shoulder.

Kai searched all medical and engineering labs against all beyblade centres. Several results popped up, with the name "Tovi Lob" as a sponsor. The man let out several curses in Russian.

Confused, Tyson asked. "What's the deal?"

"There isn't just one. Tovi Lob is looking around the country for bladers."

"What's so special about Tovi Lob?"

Look at the letters. It's an anagram for BioVolt."

Shivers run up Tyson's spine. "Oh." he looked at the results. "Fifteen different places?!"

"We need to figure out which one is headquarters, or else all of them will shut-down and their leader will escape." pulling out his cellphone he dialled a number and held it up to his ear.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Calling the only person in the company who I can trust with this." the phone rang twice.

"What is it?" came the bored voice of the Russian.

"Tala, BioVolt is still active." Kai said in Russian.

"Shit. What do you need?" asked Tala switching to Japanese, so anyone eavesdropping wouldn't be able to understand.

"I need you to find out whatever you can about a company called 'Tovi Lob'."

Tala's voice became still and professional. "I'm sorry Alexander, but I'm a bit busy at the moment. I'll get back to you when I can." the line went dead.

Kai's heart raced. He got the message loud and clear: _They're here._

If they were there, it was possible that they had somehow infiltrated Hiwatari Enterprises here in Japan as well. Cerise eyes widened. The security guards who had turned on him...

He locked eyes with Tyson. "We need to get out of here, right now. I'll explain later." Understanding, Tyson stood up calmly and locked the door, then put his chair underneath the handle, while Kai opened the window and jumped to the fire escape that was 3 ft away with ease. Tyson followed and together they made their way down the stairs.

"Now what, Kai?" the older said nothing but went to the nearest ATM and took out a thick wad of hundred dollar bills.

"I won't be able to access my account or use my bank card for the next bit. They'll either figure out how to freeze my accounts or track me by my transactions." he explained.

"So I'm guessing you need to find a place to hide?" Kai nodded. "Alright, let's head back to your place so you can grab your stuff."

They walked back to Kai's apartment (as Kai had walked to work that morning) and Kai disappeared into his room. Tyson was left to his own devices, which in this case meant playing with Kouken. When the bedroom door had finally opened, the bluenette was left speechless; There stood the Mighty Kai Hiwatari that he had come to respect and many feared. His face donned the iconic blue shark fins, a plum-purple t-shirt and vest hugged his torso, his legs clad in dark violet pants, the bottoms were tucked into his boots and a long white scarf flowed freely behind him.

"You're officially on a war path, aren't you?" Tyson mused.

"Well someone has to be." he stated.

Tyson gave him one of his signature championship smiles. "Well you know I'm behind you 100% of the way buddy!"

"Hn. Grab a kitten."

* * *

When Grandpa Kinomiya opened the door, he was not expecting to find his grandson and Kai, their arms full of newborn kittens wrapped in blankets on his front doorstep with two other cats en-tow, but welcomed them all in regardless. Behind them he could see what he assumed to be Kai's Lamborghini in the driveway. Once the cats were settled, Kai sat them both down and told them everything.

"So let me see if I have this shindig straight now: BioVolt is back under the name Tovi Lob. Tala, your homie that is from the Blizkrieg boys, who is also the vice-president of Hiwatari Industries and director of your company unit that is in Russia; he more or less told you that Tovi Lob employees have or might be trying to infiltrate the company in Russia. You strongly suspect that there are people within the company here in Japan who are working for them after your own security guards attacked you. They might try to take you down so they can take control of the company. And right now you need to hack into your own company files to figure out where Tovi Lob headquarters is so you can take them down and regain control of your company?"

Kai sat with his legs crossed and his arms folded. "Pretty much."

"Gotta say life is always interesting with you homies around. Stay as long as you need to K-man! You and your furry friends should make themselves right at home." He caught the young man's appreciative gaze.

The younger Kinomiya stretched. "We'll call the Chief in the morning. I'm starving!" The old man just laughed, loving the way his grandson could find some kind of normalcy no matter the situation.

* * *

Later that night, Kai was beating himself up.

His protective instincts were at war with themselves. One side told him that he should run, stay away from anyone he ever cared about and deal with this on his own. The other side was telling him to stay; so he could personally watch over everyone, and this side his heart agreed with it. Both sides argued back and forth until his brain had enough and told everything to shut-up so he could sleep. Soon the dulled sounds of Tyson snoring from the next room over and the heart-warming sounds of purring dragged him into the world of nothingness.

* * *

 _~Dream~_

 _He was running. The thick fog made it impossible to see and the frosty air burned his lungs. He heard Tyson's voice "Kai, come on buddy! Let's have a match!" but he couldn't see him. He ran through the fog, trying to find him when something latched onto his shoulder and held him back._

 _"Oh no, Young Kai. You're not getting away that easily!" his body became immobilized._

 _That voice!_ _I-it couldn't be. He turned and came face to face with the man responsible for all his years of suffering... Boris. "I know you, Kai. You crave power. Absolute power." his sickly sweet voice sent shiver's up the pale boy's spine._

 _"Kai! Don't listen to him!" the angelic voice of Tyson cried. "You have power! You are one of the most powerful bladers in the world!"_

 _"Hmm, yes but you can't beat him." came Boris' slimy remark. "Not without Black Dranzer of course."_

 _Kai found himself laughing. "Really Boris? Black Dranzer?"_

 _The dream morphed and he found Boris standing before him and Tyson next to him. "If I cannot beat Tyson and Dragoon with my own power, then I do not deserve to be called a blader."_

 _This made Boris angry. "Find then! If you will not come willingly, then I will just have to take you!" his arm reached out but seemed to hit an invisible barrier. Kai could feel the comforting warmth of his bitbeast embracing him._

 _"What's this?!" shouted the old man angrily._

 _Kai smirked. "This is the power of_ _**my**_ _Dranzer." he turned around. "Now get the hell out of here Boris."_

 _The dream morphed again and he was standing before his Grandfather. "I'm disappointed in you Kai. You were the one who was going to be the Conqueror of Bitbeasts and together we were supposed to rule the world!"_

 _Saying nothing, Kai just walked right through him, walking into the light._

* * *

He found himself sitting upright in bed in a room that was unfamiliar to him. A ray of sunlight poured through the crack in the curtain, illuminating the very bare room. He found feel Dranzer's warmth in his hand. He looked at his beyblade and a small smile graced his lips. "Don't worry, I'm not giving you up ever again." The object glowed in response. "And I'm not giving up him either."

"Meow."

He looked up to see Meko jump on his bed, he smiled softly and scratched her behind his ear. "Feeling any better?" She rubbed her forehead against his palm, her fever was completely gone, the medicine was indeed working. "Shouldn't you be with your little ones?" he questioned. The feline simply nodded towards her bed where her mate had all seven newborns nestled against his body, with his tail curled around them protectively. Kai chuckled. "You have him so whipped." The black cat purred in agreement.

The pair just sat there for awhile. Mama enjoying a break from being a furry milk sack with a heating system and Kai not letting the weight of the world get to him for the moment, listening to Tyson's light snores through the wall.

"Mew. Mew. Mew. Mew." All the kittens were up now and demanding food. The slate haired blader watched in amusement as his furry friend rolled her eyes, reluctantly got off the bed and walked back to the family nest so the fuzzy little beasties could latch onto her swollen nipples.

Deciding this was a good time to get up he got out of bed and as he opened the door, a certain ginger tabby followed him out. His socked feet padded almost soundlessly against the hardwood floors as he walked down the hallway towards the kitchen, where he found Gramps sipping his morning tea. "Good morning K-man! Did ya sleep okay with all those little ones?"

Giving a wry smile he deadpanned, "Still quieter than Tyson." he started making tea for himself and looked at the time. 7:30am. He pulled out his phone and e-mailed Kenny, telling him to get his ass over, before throwing a blueberry bagel in the toaster.

Kouken jumped up on Gramps lap and purred loudly. "Hey there little dude." the old man scratched the cat affectionately.

Roughly 10 minutes later, Kenny came in panting, his laptop clutched under his arm tightly and his chestnut hair in a disarray. "Where's. The. Fire?"

Kai frowned and made a mental note to make Kenny do more laps. "I need you to hack into Hiwatari Enterprises."

"I'll leave you lil dudes be." said Gramps as he got up and left the room.

"Ugh. Why do I have a feeling this is more than a security check?" he sat down at the table and started his laptop. "Am I getting any help with passwords?"

"A-C-C-E-S-S-D-E-N-I-E-D"

Kenny paused. "That's brilliant."

"I know." came the smug remark. "Search up financial records for anything related to 'Tovi Lob.'" Results flooded the screen. "Quickly save it!"

"Way ahead of you, Kai." he pointed at the stick in the USB drive. "Every move I make is being automatically saved to this little baby."

"Hn. Who are the biggest fish?"

"From what I can tell is the main three locations where Hiwatari Industries is pouring the most money into is a Tovi Lob centred in Russia, a Tovi Lob centred in America and a Tovi Lob centred here in Japan." he pointed to each.

Kai tensed. So his company was funding the new BioVolt, right under his nose. This meant that the rats were a lot deeper than he expected. "Can you get me their addresses?"

"I can get you the addresses of the company and every single employee."

Kai's eye twitched. This seemed a little too easy. "Are there any independent sources that are either funding them or being funded by them?"

"Vladimir Kusenov ring any bells?". Kenny watched as his strong, fearless friend started trembling, losing all color in his already pale face. "Kai?"

"He's Boris' and my Grandfather's lawyer." He drew a breath. "He's a twisted psychopath."

Deciding to do a quick search, Kenny's own face paled. "Ex-general is dishonourably discharged after being called 'too brutal' by peers. Wow. There's a list of his crimes a mile long!"

"He loves war. Loves causing people pain and suffering." Kai said darkly.

"Alright, so what do we do?"

"Hit the main headquarters and Kusenov at the same time."

Bewildered, Kenny looked at his former captain as if he had grown a second head. "And how do you intend to be in four places at once?" But Kai had already left the kitchen, stalking directly into Tyson's room. Five minutes later he emerged with Tyson's sleeping form draped over his right shoulder and 2 large duffel bags over his left shoulder, with his car keys in his left hand. "We're leaving."

Knowing that the enigma would give no answers until he was damn well ready to, the genius packed up his laptop and followed. He watched the Russian throw the bags into the trunk and gently place Tyson in the front seat, going as far to do up the world champion's seat belt. Kenny quickly climbed into the backseat and just managed to strap himself in before Kai sped off like a bat out of hell.

* * *

Tyson awoke in just his yellow nightshirt and boxers in the front seat of his best friend's Lamborghini, with his rival driving like he was in the middle of GTA V. His body was violently thrown to the left as they turned a corner sharply. "What the hell is going on?!" He screamed.

"Just trust me."

Honey-brown eyes looked at his friend. Those crimson eyes held that gleam, that determined look, which meant he had a plan. "Alright, but I want an explanation at some point."

"Hn." Kai shifted gears and the car sped up, and Tyson noticed they were on the highway headed out of the city. Bored, he turned of the stereo and Escape the Fate's 'One for the Money' blasted through the speakers.

About an hour later the trio stood on the tarmac looking up at a giant shiny aircraft. "This is yours?!" Kenny and Tyson exclaimed in unison, mouths hanging open as they looked at the 80ft long metal beast.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." Kai walked past them and walked up the steps. Behind him he heard Tyson say "HOW DO I KEEP FORGETTING YOU'RE A GILLIONAIRE?!"

When Kenny realized that it was only himself and Tyson seated in the fuselage did he ask "Wait, whose the pilot?"

A second later Kai's voice came over the intercom. "Hello and Welcome to Hiwatari Airlines. You are flying with Dranzer 2000 today and I will be your pilot. We will be flying several thousand feet in the air and all whiners will be thrown out the nearest window at my earliest convenience. It is highly recommended all passengers be seated and buckled during our 10 hour flight to Russia." The main thrusters activated and they slowly ascended into the blue skies. As soon as the seat belt light went off though, the baseball-capped teen jumped out of his seat.

"Wait Tyson! I don't think he wants to be disturbed."

Said teen gave his friend his trademark grin. "Don't worry chief! All I'm going to do is talk to the guy!"

"But Kai isn't the most talkative person. He has that psychotic look in his eye." He shivered, holding his laptop to his chest for comfort.

"Exactly." leaving the boy-genius in a state of confusion, Tyson ran up to the cockpit door and knocked gently.

"What is it Kinomiya?"

Taking the response as an invitation, he let himself in and sat in the empty co-pilot chair and leaned back. "Well aren't you full of surprises?"

"Hn." Crimson eyes were focused on the skies and he pressed a button on the control panel.

"So you wanna catch me up on how exactly we're going to save the world this time?"

"Take the fight to BioVolt."

"Care to explain that, Mr. Know-it-all?"

The pilot shook his head. "I can't yet."

Tyson folded his arms over his chest. "Ok, how about me waking up in your car with you driving like a madman?"

Kai's lips curved slightly upwards. "I'm trying to make it look like I'm cutting loose and we're on a strict time-line. I need to be at work by Monday morning so they don't catch on to my real plan."

"And by 'they' you mean the insane people running Tovi Lob. Why? Think that they are watching you or something?" Mahogany eyes looked around the cockpit suspiciously.

"My cellphone records, financial transactions. They'll most likely send people to tail me after this weekend, so I have less than 48 hours to get everything in place." he could feel the bluenette's worried gaze on him.

"Have you heard back from Tala?" the teenager asked solemnly.

Kai tensed. "No."

"Is this a rescue mission?!"

The older blader smirked, his rival was getting damn perceptive.

* * *

There we go, the plot is set in motion. Feel free to message me if you are confused about anything! Over the next few chapters things will happen quite quickly.

Basic rundown is that Kai has figured out that Hiwatari Industries has been infiltrated by BioVolt/ Tovi Lob. Their leader is Vladimir Kusenov. And he is on his way to rescue Tala.

The reason why he doesn't leave and do this on his own and brought Tyson with him? After his dream, he's realized how much he needs Tyson and doesn't want to abandon him in case Tovi Lob decides to come after Tyson while he's gone.

Remember to leave a review, because reviews make me happy :)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, if I did, Boris would have had a much worse fate than getting trampled and getting peed on by a dog. Also did anyone give that dog a biscuit?

So hello again, firstly thank-you to everyone who is reading this! I hope you're enjoying the story as much as I am and that you're still here ^-^ To my followers and to those who have favorited, you guys rock! Now a special shout-out to my lovely reviewers; Little A Granger, adbhut, Tyka's Flower, Lizzie and L.F. Granger! Words cannot describe how much you encourage me to keep going!

Lizzie: To answer your question, yes, Tyson was walking around the plane in nothing but his t-shirt and boxers. To me, Tyson just seems like one of those guys who would do something like that with the people he's closest to, without having any shame.

Now, without further ado, on with the chapter!

* * *

They landed in cold, snowy Moscow around noon, local time. Soon afterward the trio arrived at the Hiwatari mansion. Kai immediately disappeared upstairs and a now fully-dressed Tyson took the opportunity to dash into the kitchen and raid the cupboards.

"TYSON!" panicked Kenny, "What are you doing?! This isn't your house! Can't your stomach wait?"

"Kai won't care, besides none of us have eaten anything! Only Mr. Sourpuss would have a private jet with no snacks!" Finding a box of 'just add water' pancake mix, a pan and miraculously, maple syrup, he quickly went to work.

When said man finally came down the stairs, he found a stack of steaming pancakes waiting for him as Tyson and Kenny were wolfing down their own..Man, he was seriously starting to think if it wasn't for Tyson, he might accidentally starve himself. As the first delicious bite hit his taste buds, he sent Tyson a grateful smile.

"Alright, in the plane, I decided to make some communication devices so we can keep in touch, since cellphone networks are out of the question." The boy-genius placed the small black ear pieces into each teen's hand. "To talk, simply hold the button on the side." Both boys put the devices in their ears. Tyson was about to test it, but a deadly glare from Kai made him drop his hand.

"Wow Chief! You did this on the plane?!" exclaimed the Japanese bluenette.

"Yup! Always carry my tools with me. It was surprisingly easier than tinkering with Dragoon."

"You're the man, Chief. I have no idea what we would ever do without you buddy." he looked at the Russian. "So what's the plan?" Disappearing into the living room, Kai returned what appeared to be...janitorial uniforms?

"It's simple. We infiltrate the building, talk to Tala, figure out exactly what we're dealing with and get the hell back to Japan."

"Alright, Let's do it!" cheered Tyson.

Kenny sweat dropped. They made it sound so easy...

"Kenny, you stay here." ordered Kai.

The brunette sighed in relief. Thank goodness for small miracles.

* * *

"Blah. I thought this thing made the air easier to breathe!" whined Tyson.

"Zip it, Kinomiya."

The duo were sneaking around Hiwatari Enterprises, dressed like janitors. The hats and face masks they were wearing did a good job of concealing their identities, this way they could move easily around the offices and boardrooms, eavesdropping, without looking suspicious. Unfortunately the uniforms were unflattering, itchy and suffocating. Where the fuck was Tala?

Then, as luck would have it, a door opened, and Tala appeared with several other older men in business suits. Crimson eyes narrowed dangerously when Kai recognized Kusenov. Tyson and him made it look like they were washing walls as they listened in.

"Mr. Ivanov, I really hope that you consider our offer, especially under these _unique_ circumstances. With your leadership skills, we really could lead this company into greatness, especially in the Beyblade Community." Kusenov said in Russian.

In the fakest, most forced voice of politeness and sweetness Kai had EVER heard, Tala said "Yes, of course. Just let me talk to my friends on the board, and we will be in touch, Mr. Kusenov."

"Excellent to hear!" he turned around and took a step, before pausing. "Remember, Mr. Ivanov, we're _always_ watching." he said sinisterly. With the threat left hanging in the air, the ex-general lead his followers down the hallway, leaving the 3 of them alone.

Seizing the opportunity, the dual-haired man quickly grabbed Tala by the arm and dragged him into the nearest washroom. Tyson following right behind, putting up a "closed for cleaning" sign and locked the door.

"What are you doing?! Unhand me!" hissed the redhead. Violet eyes widened in shock as his attackers revealed themselves to be last people he thought he would see on this side of the world...Together, no less. "Kai! Tyson! What are you doing here?"

"Getting in contact with you." Kai folded his arms and leaned against a wall.

"Looks like you've found the only way. This entire building is being controlled by them."

If looks could kill, Tala would be dead a hundred times over with the glare Kai sent him. "How?"

"When you fired everyone, Biovolt must have had people ready with the perfect applications. My own secretary has been working for them all along. When you called, I was looking at the financial records and when you mentioned 'Tovi Lob', everything clicked into place. I looked into the backgrounds of all the employees, 80% of them are associated with Tovi Lob."

Tyson's mouth dropped in shock. "SAY WHAT?!"

"Then, this morning, Kusenov showed up and said how you had withdrawn a bunch of money and disappeared. When I just brushed it off as you leaving early for the weekend. He told me that he remembered me from the abbey, and how he thought I was better suited to run the company. Feeding me this bullshit that Tovi Lob isn't like Biovolt, and what they want is to give talented Beybladers all the resources Hiwatari Enterprises can give them."

"Kinda sounds like what Boris was preaching to everyone with BEGA." said Tyson

Tala nodded. "Exactly. But we know it's the access to the military and the military technology that they really want and to try and create their 'Blading Soldiers'. Right now they want me to sign a document that basically signs everything over to them." He glared at the floor before looking back up at Kai. "Please tell you have a plan."

Kai smirked triumphantly. "I do." Cerise eyes hardened. "But I'm going to need some back-up. We'll keep contact by using Tyson and Bryan to relay messages back and forth. Put that contract on hold for as long as possible. DO. NOT. SIGN. ANYTHING."

Tala glared. "I'm not an idiot."

"Seriously Tala, not even a reciept. Is there anything else?"

"When this is over, I want a raise."

"Hn. Don't push your luck." After wishing each other luck, the boys went their separate ways.

Once they were safely away from the building, Kai and Tyson ditched their disguises and Kai led them through the white streets of Moscow to Bryan's apartment. The silver-haired blader open up the door, blinking in surprise. "Kai. Tyson. What are you doing here?" he invited them in, revealing a pristine apartment, on his television screen, one could see that he had been playing 'Call of Duty'.

Kai sighed, he really hated doing this. "Tala and I need your help."

"Yeah, sure Kai. I'll do anything."

Smiling the faintest of smiles, Kai thought inwardly how anything really did mean _anything_. The last time he asked the man for help, it ended with the other collapsing from pure exhaustion after a brutal beybattle, just so Kai could ensure that he and Tyson had a fair championship match. Actually, when he really thought about it, if he ever needed to kill someone, Bryan would be the first person he would go to. "Alright, I need you to do _exactly_ as I say."

Two hours later brought Kai and Tyson back to the mansion, both utterly exhausted. While it was only 6:00pm in Russia, back in Japan, it was nearly midnight. Luckily for them, Kenny had taken the liberty of making noodles and rice.

"So, how did everything go?" asked the chief cautiously.

"Great!" said Tyson. "Kai came up with this brilliant plan. He and Tala will keep contact using Bryan and I as the middle men, and when Kai gives the word- BOOM! Down goes Tovi Lob!"

The genius nodded in understanding, still unsure how Kai was going to take them all down. "So I take it that Tovi Lob has control of the building?"

"Unfortunately." said Kai glaring at his noodles, until a slow, wicked smirk came across his face. "But not for long."

Kenny shivered. On a good day the older man was intimidating, but this...this was a look of blood-lust. He was suddenly very relieved that Tyson was here. If there was anyone who had the power to stop Kai from taking things too far, the Wielder of Dragoon could.

* * *

The night was peaceful. Kai slept in his old bedroom and Tyson and Kenny each took one of the multitude of guestrooms. Due to the jet-lag and the excitement, everyone slept a full 10 hours, before Kai woke everyone up for 5am and they were in the air an hour later.

They landed in Japan 10:00pm local time and dropped Kenny off at his place an hour later. Even from inside the vehicle, Kai and Tyson could hear the brunette's parents yelling at him for taking off with no warning.

"Should we help him?" asked Tyson, wincing slightly as he heard Kenny's mother's screaming.

"Do what you want Kinomiya." Kai said tiredly.

It was then they heard Kenny yell "Look, I sent you a text saying that I was leaving for bit, that I was with Tyson and I would be back when I could be. I understand that you were worried, but seriously! I've been around the world and I've proven that I can take care of myself!"

Proud that his friend was standing up for himself, Tyson replied, "Nah, looks like he has everything under control. If things get too bad, he'll just come over for a few days until this blows over."

"Hn." The 18 year old shifted the car into first gear and sped off. After a few blocks, Tyson's stomach decided to make its need for food known. Realizing that none of them had eaten since that morning, the driver pulled up to a 24-hour subway. "C'mon Kinomiya."

Blinking in surprise at the unusual generosity all the bluenette could do was follow his rival into the restaurant. Ordering a foot-long on Italian with quite literally everything except the hot peppers and jalapenos, he watched Kai order a cold-cut sandwich, with plenty of greens and no sauces. Keeping the order in mind for future reference, the boys sat down in a corner of the establishment. "Thanks for this Kai. You really didn't have to do this."

"I need you to keep your strength up. With your luck, some amateur will be challenging you for your title as soon as we walk out that door."

...Okay. The validity of that point could never disputed. "Yeah, but I'd send the poor kid's blade out of the dish so fast, he won't know what him him!"

And there it was, that unwavering, in-your-face confidence that just made Tyson, well Tyson. Once upon a time, Kai would have done anything to beat Tyson, just so he could wipe that confident smirk right off the teenager's face. But it soon became apparent, even if the boy lost brutally, that confident smirk would return at full force and he'd by dying for a re-match. "Hn. Or it could be a repeat of when Robert beat you." Kai nearly laughed about how flushed his friend became.

"Yeah, well, I was really inexperienced back then, and Robert is an awesome blader! Besides, we know how the battle would go now." he bit into his sandwich angrily, before suddenly looking thoughtful. "Hey Kai, if you could square off against any opponent, who would it be?"

"You."

"Really? I thought for sure it would be Brooklyn!"

Kai scoffed. "Brooklyn has a long way to go."

The Tyson's aura suddenly changed, to one more serious and melancholy. "So, next World Championship, you're leaving again?"

The Russian sighed, he knew this conversation would come up eventually. The impulse to just walk away and avoid the question all together was strong. Choosing his next words carefully, as not to upset the overly-emotional teenager, he said, "Maybe. Depends what's going on, but, you should know by now, if you really need me, I'll be there."

"Kay. Just tell me before you leave again. Knowing that you're here one day and gone the next...it just really sucks dude."

What Tyson didn't know was the reason he didn't tell his friend that he was leaving was that he simply couldn't bring himself to. His first betrayal was because the power of Black Dranzer had severely messed with his head. The second time...the second time, Hiro had been right there and would tell Tyson for him. The second time he took the coward's way out and he knew it. The third time...well he saw an opportunity and went for it...stupidly. He really should have known that Boris had already hand-picked his bladers and would do anything to keep it that way. "Fine. If I can tell you ahead of time, then I will. But you should know that I will take every opportunity to battle you Kinomiya. Regardless if your World Champion or not."

Tyson looked at him with pleading eyes. "But we'll always remain friends?"

Kai sighed. "If you haven't figured that out by now, you really are hopeless."

This seemed to cheer the 17 year old up considerably. "Alright, let's finish up and go home!" A thought occurred to him. "You did tell Grandpa we were leaving, right?"

Oh shit. "..."

"KAI!"

"I was in a hurry!" he snapped.

"It takes 30 seconds to write a note!" Tyson slumped. "We're doomed."

As it turned out, when they returned to the Dojo, the lights were all off, but the door was left unlocked. Taking advantage of there good fortune, Tyson quickly wrote a note apologizing for their sudden absence, and would explain everything the next day. Deciding that it would make less noise, the boys decided to sleep in the dojo, instead of their rooms. Grabbing a few blankets and pillows, the pair laid side by side as exhaustion took over.

* * *

I apologize for the short chapter. Tell you what, if I get 5 reviews, I will update the next one ASAP (meaning you guys could possibly have it in a few hours, tomorrow or the day after, instead of waiting the full week.)

Next chapter, it's going to have you sitting on edge. Lots of things happen and I had fun writing it. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Do you see Tyson ever wear Kai's scarf? No? Damn, I still don't own it then.

Alright, Tyka's Flower convinced me to write another chapter and adbhut was going to leave reviews under different names. So you should thank them by checking out their stories.

So here's chapter 6!

* * *

When Kai awoke the next morning, he discovered that sometime during the night, the dragon wielder had somehow found his way into his arms, which were wrapped quite tightly around the boy. Worried that he had overslept, he checked the time. 7:15am. He had exactly 15 minutes to hold his secret crush before he turned back into the "Ice Prince". He was going to make damn sure that he enjoyed these 15 minutes. Breathing in Tyson's stormy scent, he decided that this was paradise on Earth. Though, Tyson's warm body pressed against his was starting to become hard to handle as desire filled his being. Giving in slightly, he allowed himself to his right thumb back and forth, caressing Tyson's back tenderly.

But...he wanted more...

Keep in control Kai, he reminded himself.

All too soon, paradise was lost as the alarm blared loudly, waking up the smaller teen. "Ugh. School should start at noon." the bundle in his arms moaned, snuggling further into Kai's strong chest.

Kai could only groan in agreement.

Staying in their position, the rivals just laid there, both worn-out, both enjoying each other's warmth and comfort. But Kai had to be the responsible one. "C'mon, I'll drive you to school."

"Can't you tell them I died instead?"

The Russian chuckled. "No. Gramps would kill me."

"I wouldn't let him. We could run away to Russia and go into hiding." reasoned the bundle.

"You only have 3 months left."

"Still way too long."

"Kinomiya, you're going to school." he said warningly, his voice dropping an octave.

"Okay, okay...let me get up."

Slowly Kai unwrapped his arms from around the student and slowly Tyson got up. Kai was expecting the younger to say something about waking up in their position, but the younger stayed quiet, instead he grabbed a change of clothes from his dufflebag and Kai followed suit. As they changed, both stole glances at each other's bodies with the same thought...Damn he's gorgeous.

After quickly grabbing some toast, they both jumped into the black and blue Lamborghini and drove to Tyson's school, discussing past opponents along the way.

"Lee vs Miguel."

"Lee would win that one in a heartbeat. Miguel needs more practice and lacks the ferocity and speed that Lee has." Kai said plainly.

"Fine then...Max vs Ray."

Kai was silent for a moment before replying. "Max would win. Ray always comes out fast and hard and Max knows this, all he would have to do is hold out in the first few minutes of battle. Max could do this easily, until Ray ran out of stamina and hit him hard."

Tyson found himself agreeing wholeheartedly.

They suddenly found themselves outside the school. "Thanks for the ride, man. Oh! Before I forget!" he took out the communication devices Kenny had given them. "No idea if they'll work, but it's work a try. That way, if it turns out the building has been taken over by those crooks and you're in a tight spot, I can come and help."

The older looked at him suspiciously. "No thanks Kinomiya, you'll probably end up leaving it on and I'll have to listen to your snores for the rest of the day. I don't need your help."

The teenager just rolled his eyes. Typical Kai. "It's not like you can't just take it off. I promise I won't bug ya! Think of it this way, if I need help, I can contact you."

"Math equations does not count as an emergency." Kai said stubbornly.

Tyson laughed. "The chief sits right next to me in math class anyways. Besides, math is really easy once you put it in blading terms."

"Hn."

"So just take the damn device so you put my mind at ease and I _can_ concentrate at math." he pleaded.

"If it will get you to shut-up and leave me alone, fine. I'll take it." he finally conceded. "We don't even know if they'll work anyways."

Tyson grinned. "It's the Chief's gear, it's gonna work."

"Hn." he watched Tyson leave the vehicle and give him one last wave good-bye, before turning back around and walked towards the education facility. He waited until he saw the bluenette get inside the safely, before he put the device into his ear and pulled away.

When nine o'clock rolled around, Kai was deeply buried in paperwork, then came a knock at the door.

"Mr. Hiwatari, Kusenov and his representatives from Tovi Lob are here to see you." came the voice of his secretary.

Calming his nerves and schooling his face into one of perfect indifference, he said in an even voice. "Send them in." He decided to play a game...How many bull-faced lies could he see through?

Soon, walked in a face that the young Russian never wanted to see again.

"Ah, Young Kai, I doubt that you would remember me, I was an associate of your Grandfather, my name is Vladimir Kusenov and I am Head Director of a very modest company called 'Tovi Lob'. We are here with a proposition that I'm sure you would find very interesting."

The thing was, he did remember Kusenov. Vividly. Ever since he pieced back together the memories of the abbey, his past had been quite clear. Kusenov was the one whispering in his Grandfather's ear the whole time about Biovolt. He remembered the old men plotting together on new ways to 'train' the orphans at the abbey. He also periodically came in to check on Boris' progress. The man was a tyrannical, conniving, deceitful monster, whose ultimate goal was war. As a child, Kai often wondered if he was Satan reincarnate, as the abbey was literally 'Survival of the Fittest', and this man was one of those who were responsible of all the terrors he had suffered in that hellhole orphanage.

Secondly...Kai wouldn't exactly call a company who had three very powerful headquarters as 'modest'.

Choosing his words carefully, he asked. "What is your proposal, and how would it exactly benefit Hiwatari Enterprises?"

"Hahahaha, right down to the point. I've always admired that about you Kai." The CEO had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at the display of sheer, blatant, kiss-assery. "Our company would like funds to take in bladers and concentrate on honing their skills. Ultimately we would like to turn it into an academy where we teach students the masterful art of beyblading. As I understand, you are considered one of the world's best, so I can see you take a personal interest in this little project of mine."

Oh, so now they were actually asking for money instead of getting their rats to just transfer it to them? They must be needing a significant amount then to create their 'Academy of World Domination'.

Under normal circumstances, he would just shout at the man and kick him out of his office. But he had a plan. Folding his hands in front of him to make it look he was thinking hard about their offer, he said "Hmm, that is indeed interesting. Let me talk to my Board of Directors and we'll get back to you."

A sudden, terrible smirk came over the madman's face. "Oh, that won't be necessary, this meeting was more like an FYI."

"What?" Kai growled, he discretely turned the communicator that was still in his ear, on.

"Your board has always belonged to me. Like hell I was going to let Voltaire entrust anything to you without my watchful eye. I'm afraid you are being over-thrown." Kai started laughing. "What exactly is so amusing?"

"Did you _really_ think I wouldn't prepare for this?" a smug smirk came across the 18 year old's face. "After what happened to the BBA, I personally made sure my other directors couldn't just betray me. I AM Hiwatari Enterprises, no one has the power to overrule me."

"Maybe you'll change your tune once it's your friend's lives at stake."

Keeping his composure, Kai said confidently. "It's a good thing I don't have friend's then."

"I do wonder what Tyson would say to that. That's okay, you'll be seeing him soon, he's about to get an unexpected visitor."

At this, Kai visibly pale and started trembling.

"Yes Young Kai. Tyson Kinomiya will become ours, and you will do everything we say and be a good little puppet." sneered the ex-general. "Unless you want an unfortunate accident to happen to him?"

"Heh. Do you really think you can really ensnare that hurricane that easily?" he grinned venomously. "Do you even think you can hold me for that matter?" He quickly launched his blade he had hidden behind his back. "Let it rip!"

"GET OUT OF THE WAY MEN!" The ex-general cried as he dove to the ground as Dranzer's power was released inside the office, setting it ablaze. Kai leaped out the window and onto the fire escape.

"So I take it that we're screwing the plan then?" Tyson's voice was suddenly in his ear.

Overjoyed that the device was indeed working properly Kai said, "So I take it that you heard all that?"

"Every word."

Kai's eyes narrowed. "Where are you?"

"As soon as I heard that creep's voice, I grabbed Kenny and we ran out the classroom, so we're just sneaking out the school now. Once we're out I'll text Max and let him know to keep an eye out for big goon's with an attitude problem."

"I'll be there in five to pick you up."

"5 minutes?! Kai, it takes at least fifteen to get across town!"

"5 minutes Kinomiya." he repeated in a tone that left no room for argument, as he got into his car, driving off at a speed that would put Sonic the Hedgehog to shame. Keeping his eyes focused on the road, other vehicles and road signs nothing but blurs as he whizzed past them. Traffic lights meant nothing as he focused on his objective: To get to Tyson.

Whether it be luck or divine intervention, he arrived at the school in under 5 minutes, just in time to watch a familiar duo come barging out of the school, when out of nowhere, 20 men all dressed in black suits surrounded them.

Jumping out of his car, with a look that promised death, he looked to their leader. He was bigger than the rest, bald, wearing sunglasses with a walkie talkie hanging from his breast pocket. "Let them go." he reached for his launcher.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." said the brute. The men stepped aside and Kai's heart stopped. Both Tyson and Kenny had guns to their temples. "We have orders to shoot if we so much as see a ripcord. Now hand over your blade and all of us will go for a little ride to see Mr. Kusenov."

Kai's blood boiled as his body shook with rage. His eyes darted between Tyson's fear-ridden face and his capture's. Tyson bowed his head and his navy bangs covered half of his face. "Run, Kai."

Everyone turned their head's to the boy.

"Please don't worry about us, we'll be fine." he looked up. "Save yourself!"

Seeing a single tear roll down a tanned cheek, made something deep inside Kai snap. Pure anger bubbled up through his being. He felt Dranzer's power coursing through him and it exploded.

The result was horrifying.

The man who was holding Tyson, suddenly burst into flame, freeing the teenager. Then someone did something stupid. They grabbed Tyson.

Kai trained his gaze on the bastard, and he too caught fire. Before anyone could react, the Russian swept his gaze along the circle of men and flames engulfed their beings. Somewhere, amongst the chaos of screams, Kai heard Tyson's voice. "That's enough Kai."

At once the flames dispersed, and the men fled, screaming in fear and pain, some clutching their burns.

Seeing his friends safe at last, all energy left Kai's body. Dots danced in his vision as it faded to black. He felt a strong pair of arms around him, refusing to let him fall. "Don't worry, I got ya buddy." came Tyson's soothing voice.

Tyson. His eyes snapped open and he stared into mahogany. "Are you hurt?"

"Nope, not a scratch!...Kai, what was that? You just set 20 guys on fire...it was wicked."

"That was what happens when someone goes too far and royally pisses off Dranzer and I." Kai growled, panting slightly.

"Wait, you tapped into Dranzer's power without your blade?!" exclaimed Kenny.

"Their bond is just that strong, Chief." stated Tyson, still steadying the dual-haired teenager. "Kai needed help and Dranzer lent him her power, just like when we beybattle, out bitbeasts draw their power from our strength." The brunette nodded in understanding. "C'mon we should get back to the Dojo."

"No. They'll be looking for us there." protested Kai. "We'll head over to one of my safe houses."

"Yeah, but what about Tyson's grandpa?" asked Kenny.

Tyson found two sets of eyes on him. "Grandpa will be fine. He can take care of himself." he concluded. "Besides, what they want is Kai to sign their stupid contract. They won't do anything to jeopardize that." he looked at his friend. "You okay to drive, Kai?"

"Yeah, besides neither one of you are licenced." he pulled his weight off Tyson and headed towards his vehicle.

* * *

"Dude, how many freaking houses does your family need?!" they were standing in front of a beautiful, but massive cottage 2 hours outside of Beycity.

"Hn." the trio walked up to the house. Suddenly the ground gave way and the boys fell into the darkness.

* * *

So there we go. Only 3 hours to edit this bitch! Personally I love this chapter. Once again, if you're confused you can always message me. All chapters will be around this length from now on, as I can only write so fast. Blah...I need sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing...sadly.

A huge shout-out to Little A Granger, adbhut and Tyka's flower and all my other readers for sticking around this long! Here's chapter 7!

* * *

"Dude, how many freaking houses does your family need?!" they were standing in front of a beautiful, but massive cottage 2 hours outside of Beycity.

"Hn." the trio walked up to the house. Suddenly the ground gave way and the boys fell into the darkness.

20 feet below the earth they landed on cold, hard concrete. Tyson was the first to recover, "Ow! Kai, no offence man, but I think your house is trying to kill us." he rubbed his behind. Unfortunately all he could see was black. "Chief, you okay?" he called.

"T-Tyson." came a small, pained whimper. "O-over here...help."

The bluenette followed the sounds of the whimpers and crawled his way over, when his hand felt warm flesh. A "click" was heard before a small flame revealed Kai's face, he was kneeling over Kenny's body. The flame also revealed one major problem; The beyblade mechanic's leg was severely broken. It was bent at such awkward angle that it was impossible to deny it. "H-how bad is it?" it obvious that the brunette was trying very hard not to cry.

"Chief, it's busted up pretty good." Said Tyson honestly. "But don't worry, I'll carry you out!"

"Wait, Kinomiya. Take the lighter." Tyson did so and he watched the Hiwatari take out a small vial and a needle, his eyes widened. "Kenny, I'm going to give you something for the pain." Slowly Kai administered the fluid which after a minute it noticeably started taking effect as Kenny's entire body relaxed. Gently, Kai helped Tyson drape the small teenager over the world champion's left shoulder. Using Kai's lighter to see, they walked down the corridor.

"Kai, what exactly is this place?" asked Tyson.

"It's part of a security system, designed so only _I_ or other extremely skilled beybladers could get through. Basically we get through the maze, we get inside."

"And you didn't tell us about this before because...?"

"...Zip it."

"You forgot didn't you?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut-up? Besides, I can do this in my sleep. Just try to keep up." He gave a reassuring smile to his friend, who returned it. He stopped. "Kinomiya, stay here until I give the word."

"Aye, Aye Captain." Tyson gave a playful salute, eyes brimming with trust, which put Kai's protective instincts into overdrive. Filled with determination, Kai stepped away from the protective wall and into the chaos.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later both Kai and Tyson were panting and sweating like crazy as they sat in a modest living room.

"Your...family...is...INSANE." Declared Tyson in-between large gulps of air. "Lasers, flaming beyblades...spikes and booby traps galore...No wonder...you're so...serious...all the time."

"Blading was...a lifeline." The Russian panted. "Still is."

Once they recovered, they turned their attention towards the youngest member of the group, who was sleeping peacefully. Tyson sweat-dropped. "What did you give him anyway?"

"Morphine. Unfortunately he's going to need more once I re-set his leg." Kai said, frowning. He disappeared for a moment and returned holding a large medical kit. He popped it open and searched for a moment before he found several small vials with the words 'morphine' on the side. "Kinomiya." Mahogany looked up at a somber crimson. "I need to reset the bone, I need you to hold Kenny down."

Tyson nodded in understanding and he straddled the brunette's waist, gently pressing the still-sleeping boy's shoulder's down. "Ready when you are."

Kai retrieved a pair of scissors from the medical kit and cut length-wise up the brown trousers to see what exactly he was dealing with. It was a closed fracture. No bones sticking out from an open wound. He sighed in relief. Gripping the leg he said, "Alright, on my mark...3...2...1!"

 **SNAP**

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Tyson held his small friend down as he screamed in agony, tears pouring down his face. Kai quickly put the child's leg into a split and swiftly gave him another dose of morphine. Kenny squeezed Tyson's hand mercilessly as he cried. Soon the medication took effect and the boy was sleeping once more.

Silence fell over the room. "How many times have you had to do that before?" Tyson's voice was encase in a dark, solemn tone.

Kai looked at the ceiling. "In the abbey...nearly every week." he shut his eyes. "If only we had the luxury of painkillers..."

"Yeah, why did you have that dose of morphine on you anyways? Never took you as one who relied on painkillers."

The older teen sighed. "After a rough training session in the frozen Tundra of Russia, Spencer ended up in an unstable patch of snow and it gave way. He fractured his ankle, and even after I reset it, the pain was too much and he couldn't move. We carried him, but we all nearly froze to death. We all had hypothermia and Bryan developed pneumonia. As soon as we were able to train again, Tala made it a requirement that we carried morphine with us at all times. Now it's just a habit."

Tyson recalled the day where they had been all trapt on that weird island with the mad scientists that had been desperately trying to steal their bitbeats, and how when a cliff collapsed he had fallen off the edge and had severely injured his ankle. What he wouldn't have given for a pain killer as he hiked through the thick vegetation? "That might be a habit that we all have to adopt..." Suddenly, what sounded like an angry bear filled the room, making the Dragoon holder look down at his stomach and blush in embarrassment. Kai only lifted an eyebrow in before grabbing Tyson's arm and dragged him into the kitchen. He watched in amusement as the boy's jaw dropped and hang open in shock. "I think Ray would seriously cry if he saw this."

The kitchen was decked out with 5-star appliances, black marble counter-tops with an island in the middle. It was any chief's dream! Bouncing over to the cabinets the teenager opened them and was delighted to find them well-stocked with an assortment of canned and other non-perishable items. There was a lot of cereal, oatmeal and rice.

Leaving his friend alone in his paradise, Kai silently left the kitchen and went outside, launching his blade at the trees, hoping that training would calm his erratic thoughts and emotions. Just when he thought he had everything perfect, of course his past would catch up. Was there ever going to be a day that he would stop paying for his grandfather's sins? Was there ever going to be a day when he could stop looking over his shoulder? Most of all, was there ever going to be a day where he and those he cherished would ever be safe?

 **CLANG**

That unmistakeable white blade clashed with his Dranzer, and that glorious sound sparked his lust for battle. He turned to face his beloved rival. Mahogany eyes brimmed with confidence and a playful light. That look, combined with that confident grin that played on that gorgeous tanned face – it ignited his soul.

Oh, it was _so_ on.

Half an hour later both bladers laid next to each other in the crater their blades had created, sweat trickled down their faces, their chests heavily up and down rapidly, clothes torn, both wearing the biggest grins they could muster.

Now that was fun.

The sheer power they wielded, the way they could sense each other's movements, the way the world completely faded away until it was just them. The high from the adrenaline rush was pure bliss. After countless of battles, with many excellent opponents, the battles with Tyson Kai would always regard as sacred.

Their arms touched. Electricity surged through the dual-haired teen's body, he turned to his head to the left slightly, meeting the other's euphoric face. Kai's breath hitched. Tyson was beautiful.

"Kai?"

"Hn?"

"5 years ago were we total amateurs weren't weren't we?"

The older blader thought back to 5 years ago, he had been cold, unaccepting of any help. Victory meant everything. He was good. But he fought only to be the best, to gain power. Now he bladed with everything he had. His heart. His soul. "Yeah, I could beat my younger self with my eyes closed." _And put that jerk into place._

Tyson chuckled. "Yeah and I would totally blow myself away- literally! What I'm trying to get at here though, look how far we've come in 5 years. Could you imagine was we could do in another 5 years?"

The Russian looked at the boy in astonishment. "Wow, something profound actually came out of your mouth."

The Japanese teen laughed, knowing that the older was only teasing. "It's been know to happen."

"Once in a blue moon."

"Yeah, but could you imagine?"

Kai's eyes narrowed in concentration as he looked up at the clouds. "I honestly can't. I never imagined that I would become this powerful, but I would love to see how much further I can push myself." He smirked. "I can't stop until I've beaten you at least."

"Kai, I have no intentions to ever lose to you, be prepared to take your blade to the grave." said the teen cockily.

"I'll make you regret those words Kinomiya."

"...Who won anyways?"

They looked at each other and at their blades that had stopped spinning long ago.

"I think we can call this one a draw."

Sometime later, they finally manage to remove themselves from the hard ground and inside the house. Kenny was still asleep, but Tyson discovered that they had messages. The first was from Max. / _Thanks for the heads-up buddy. My mom's place has really high security, so no need to worry about me. You guys okay?/_

/Yeah Maxie, we're just fine. Well, the Chief has a broken leg after falling through a trap door, but Kai fixed him up./ Tyson texted back.

The second one was from an unknown number. _/Hey Tyson, it's Bryan. Get Kai to call me ASAP!/_

The third one was was from his grandfather (perks of having the old man dedicated to 'keeping up with the times') _/Hey T-man, a few real shady lookin' dudes been snooping around the house looking for ya and K-man. I just pretend to be senile and they leave pretty quick./_

Tyson grinned and messaged back, _/What do you mean 'pretend'? No one has any clue what you are talking about anyways. :P/_

Entering the living room, Tyson tossed his phone at Kai who was sitting in the armchair reading. "Bryan wants you to call him." He watched the older teen punch in the number – obviously he knew it off by heart. Jealousy gripped his heart. How often did Kai call them? He was never lucky enough to receive a call from the enigma.

"What is it?...What?...I see...Alright, keep a low profile until I say otherwise..." Tyson watched the CEO smirk. "You could say that...Keep me informed...Doing the same thing as you are...Pricks tried to corner me, they're looking for leverage...Exactly." Kai hung up and looked at Tyson. "They tried cornering Tala, telling him they had me captive and were going to kill me if he didn't sign. Tala jumped ship and went to Bryan's. Basically Tovi Lob wants to take over Hiwatari Enterprises and they can't do that without Tala or I, so their plans are fucked. Tala and I can run everything online and all it takes is another overhaul and Tovi Lob loses control."

Tyson studied the man carefully. "But you have a different plan in mind?"

"They tried taking everything away from me. I **will** make them pay." the malicious edge in his voice sent a shiver up the baseball-capped teen's spine.

"Just remember buddy, you do have friends and don't need to do this alone." he said softly. He made eye contact with those garnet orbs, there was a tenderness and appreciation in them he rarely saw. There was also something else...guilt?

"Well I can't do anything until Kenny's awake. Once that happens then things get really interesting." They looked down at the brunette.

It was hours later before the boy awoke, and when he did he had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't still dreaming. Curled together in the loveseat were Kai and Tyson. They were both in a sitting position, Tyson's head was rested against Kai's shoulder and Kai's head was rested against Tyson's. An open novel lay forgotten in Kai's lap and a comic book lay in Tyson's.

They were...adorable.

Unfortunately his full bladder reminded him of why he had woken up in the first place. Not wanting to wake his former captain ('cause there was nothing that could wake the world champion), he slowly brought himself into a sitting position, but as soon as he went to move his legs a wave of pain hit him HARD, and unfortunately a whimper escaped his lips.

Red and auburn eyes snapped open simultaneously and to Kenny's surprise, Tyson was immediately up and began fussing over him. "How ya feeling Chief?"

"Sore, but okay..." he fidgeted.

"Need some help to the washroom, buddy?" Thankful that his friend understood, he gladly accepted the older boy's help.

When they returned, Kai had two pills and a glass of water waiting for him. "Sorry, I need you alert if we're going to get out of here anytime soon. Those are Tylenol 3's. Still a decent pain killer." Kenny took the medication.

"So what do you need me to do?"

A sly smirk came across the Russian's pale features. "We're gonna make those bastards realize how very little control they have. Chief, I need you to upload a virus, one that basically forces people to chose between Kusenov and I. But if they don't chose correctly, it perminately shuts them out of the system."

"So it's like a popularity contest?" asked Tyson.

"...Or maybe a game..."

Two set of eyes fell on the youngest member. " How about a fighting game with the characters being you and Kusenov? They can pick which one they want to play as and which one they want to play against. As soon as someone kick's Kai's ass 3 times in a row, they are completely ejected from the system?"

"Do it." commanded Kai.

Several hours later, the brunette got the professional bladers to test-drive the game. He had included it with finishing moves, Kai's being the power to scorch the enemy and Kusenov throwing a massive rocket that sent the opponent flying.

"This is brilliant Chief!" complimented Tyson as Kai gave his character a brutal uppercut. "No one would suspect this was a virus." his eyes brightened. "Hey can you turn this into an actual game and add Max, Ray, myself, Daichi and Hilary? That way we can fight each other?"

Kai rolled his eyes. "Please don't. It's already hard enough to tear his eyes away from the screen as is." Cerise eyes narrowed as Tyson gave him a devastating round-house kick. "You'll regret that, Kinomiya!"

Watching the two play the game was so enthralling, Kenny considered Tyson's idea. Letting the members get rid of some tension without destroying their blades, might be a good thing indeed.

Soon, the cartoon Kusenov was knocked out and laying flat on his back and Tyson held his head in shame for losing. "Ah, that was close! Good game Kai!"

The CEO's lip curved upwards slightly. "Hn. Upload it immediately."

Tyson grinned. "That means it's awesome, in Kai-speak!" he and Kenny laughed while Kai just stared at them fondly.

* * *

24 hours later in the country of Russia, Vladimir Kusenov slammed his phone down in frustration. All of his undercover employees had been barred from the system! How did the little brat pull that off? He had help Voltaire create BioVolt as a means to recruit more soldiers and combine them with the best technology that money could buy! Perfect humans that would do their bidding without question.

But Kai seemed to only ruined those plans time and time again. It would seem that he greatly under-estimated the boy. The thing was, he was almost out of cards! Try to pull the company out from underneath the 18 year old's feet? As it turns out in order for that to happen he needed all 13 of the other board member's signatures, unfortunately this meant Tala. Even after he had the red-head cornered, the little bastard _still_ had escaped, disappearing completely off the map!

He must be with those friends of his...but despite all of his efforts to try and find the other members of the Demolition Boyz, he had come up with absolutely nothing. They had no fixed address and must use cash and pre-paid cards for everything!

...Maybe he had trained them _too_ well.

Then there was the matter of Kai. The issue was, after those he had sent out to capture Tyson came back with their faces practically melted, none of his other recruits wanted to go near the world champion or the little so-called "Ice Prince". Now he had completely vanished!

And the other members of the BBA Revolutions were just as elusive. They knew where Max was, but thanks to that bitch-mother of his, the security was just too tight. Ray, they knew was somewhere in the Chinese mountains, but the village was so remote, nothing ever came up on satellite. That other annoying player Daichi...well no one had heard from him in months.

He slammed his fist down on the table. They needed leverage dammit!

"Hahahahaha, it looks like Young Kai and his friends have won this little game you've started."

Angry blue eyes looked to the doorway, "This never would have happened if you had done your fucking job, Boris."

A decrypted, purple-haired man, wearing a dark-green sweater sauntered into the room. "Careful now, I would gladly offer my services to someone else."

The ex-general raised a blonde eyebrow. "And what services could you possible have to offer?"

A harmless-looking smile appeared on the Balkov Abbey's former Head Priest's face. "It's quite simple really. I know these boys. I know where they like to hide. You've got them running scared. Like always, it's my job to find them."

The other man thought for a moment. "And what pray-tell, is in this for you?"

"Oh nothing unreasonable. 50 million once you have control of Hiwatari Enterprises, and Tyson Kinomiya." He said this as if he were asking the man out to Sunday Brunch.

Kusenov crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the desk. "Now I'm really interested, what's so special about him?"

"Nothing really. He's just ruined me so many times, I want to have the pleasure of breaking him." His words were laced with venom.

Kusenov rubbed his chin and chuckled. "Now revenge is something I can respect and understand. You have yourself a deal, Balkov."

"Excellent. Now to start with our dear Tala..."

* * *

It was Wolborg that had awoken him. Feeling something ice-like had jolted the red-head out of his dream, and it soon became apparent why – he could hear sounds behind the door.

"Out of the way fools! How hard can it be to pick a simple lock?"

Shivers ran up his spine. His breath caught in his throat. No. Not him. Even to this day he still had nightmares about what that man had put him through. He grabbed his lover's arm and began to shake him forcefully. "Bryan! It's Boris! We have to get out, now!" Instantly silvery-blue eyes snapped open. Knowing they had only mere seconds before they would be discovered, they threw on their clothes from off the floor and grabbed their emergency back-packs and their blades. They went to their last and only option. Upon hearing their door being slammed open, they jumped out of the 4-story window.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed! Also working on a collaboration piece called "The Unpredictable Battlefield" with Little A Granger! So, if you are looking for another great story to read, you should definitely go check out that one!

Please leave a review telling me what you thought! ~RPS


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: If I owed Beyblade, it wouldn't be for kids anymore XD

A huge thank-you to Little A Granger, adbhut and Tyka's flower for inspiring me to keep going with this fic :) A huge thank-you to all my readers! I love you all!

I'm posting this a little early because my daughter's birthday is this weekend and not entirely sure when I'll have time to update. I hope you enjoy chapter 8!

* * *

"Kai! You need to see this!" while the panic and worry in the mousey boy's voice was nothing out of the ordinary; calling for him was. Usually the little genius called for Tyson. Slowly getting out of his armchair, he made his way over to the brunette whom was sitting with his legs stretched out on the couch, his computer on his lap. "You got an email from Kusenov." Kai raised a grey eyebrow as the sinking feeling of dread knotted his stomach.

"Let's see."

It was a video. Once Kenny scanned it for viruses and deemed it as safe, they opened it.

To their horror, on the screen showed beaten, broken, bloodied and bruised to almost beyond the point of recognition were Tala, Spencer and Bryan. All three of them were tied to chairs in some sort of interrogation room.

Kai clenched his fists. He would make Kusenov pay dearly for this.

In the video, stepping out from the shadows, Boris appeared in all his evil glory. Both Kai and Kenny gasped in shock, Kai turning several shades whiter.

"Ah, don't look so surprised Young Kai, you should've known that one day I would return and seek my revenge after you and Tyson humiliated me." His calm features turned wicked. "But Mr. Kusenov has generously offered me a wonderful deal in this project of his. Now our demands." He turned around and shot Spencer in the leg, the blonde's scream pierced Kai's heart. "You have 48 hours to give up Hiwatari Enterprises before I decide to start killing off Blitzkrieg Boyz. If you decide not to come out after that, we will start grabbing other teams and slowly kill them off one by one, until you come to your senses."

The screen went black and Kenny looked up at the Russian's shaking form, his bangs covering his face. "Kai?" he asked tentatively.

Tyson appeared in the doorway with solemn look on his face. He had heard everything. Bravely, he went up to his rival and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"He's- He's got Tala, Tyson." Kai said in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"I know. We'll get him and the other guys back, okay?" Tyson said soothingly. "We have 48 hours to take them down. I know that by working together we can do it!" his voice got low and dangerous. "And we'll make them pay for hurting our friends and shut-down their operation for good."

His pep-talk must've been exactly what the slate-haired blader needed, because when Kai looked up, there was a blazing fire raging in his crimson orbs. "Yes. We'll make them pay dearly." he held out his hand. "Give me your phone, Kinomiya. I'm calling in reinforcements."

As he watched Kai disappear into one of the bedrooms, Tyson realized they would be leaving soon. "Kenny, anyway for you to trace where that video came from, like they do in the spy movies?"

They boy smiled. "Already on it."

"Good. Fortunately we only need a general area, our bitbeasts will lead us straight to Tala and them." He looked down at his Dragoon. "Boris will be sorry for what he did." A sudden chill in the air made the hairs on the back of Tyson's neck stand on end. The room felt like it had dropped several degrees in the last few seconds.

The door bell rang.

Before the World Champion could even react, Kai was there. He sent a look at him, one that screamed _"Get out of sight"_. Tyson obeyed. He picked up Kenny off the couch and placed him gently in one of the spacious closets. He stood behind the wall right next to the front entrance, in case Kai needed back-up...not that he couldn't take care of himself.

He heard the door open then...Silence.

Dead Silence.

"B-but how?" Kai's voice was soft, but clearly in shock. Curiously Tyson poked his head from around the corner and his own jaw went slack.

Standing before them was none other than the Blitzkrieg Boyz.

"What's wrong Kai? You look like you've seen a ghost." commented Bryan.

All eyes were on the shaking blader as he punched a wall, his fist going straight through the drywall and he shouted, "I'm gonna fucking kill that bastard!" he stalked back into the living room. Everyone could feel the anger radiating off him in torrents.

The newcomers just looked at each other and shrugged, letting themselves into the house. Noticing Tyson's bewildered and angry expression and his unusual silence was really starting to freak Tala out. "Ok what happened? Kai is emotional and Tyson is silent. What gives?"

Kai and Tyson exchanged glances before Tyson wordlessly went to the closet and pulled out the computer wiz. "Show them what Kusenov sent."

Kenny, seeing the intimidating looks from the Russians, shivered and opened the file. The Blitzkrieg Boyz watched the video with hate and disgust written on their faces.

"Well that explains the visit Boris paid to Bryan's apartment." mutter Tala venomously. The former Bladebreakers looked at him with interest. "Him and his goons broke in at the dead of the night, forcing Bryan and I to jump out the nearest window. If I had know the bastard would do something like this, I would've taken my chances and killed him on the spot." the red-head growled.

"So any idea who his victims are?" asked Tyson.

"Probably just some poor saps who work for him." answered Bryan.

"So what's the plan?"

All eyes turned towards Kai.

"We're ending this game, we're going to destroy them so thoroughly that BioVolt will never rise again. Kusenov is _mine_." he growled. Only the other Russians understood the implications of that statement, and nodded mutely. Kai turned his attention to Kenny. "Do you have a location?" he watched the brunette bite his lip.

"We have a problem: The video seems to have come not from one, but **two** different locations. The Tovi Lob headquarters in Russia and the one here in Japan. The email address is active in both buildings at this very moment."

The room went silent once again.

Finally Tala spoke. "They're forcing us to split up."

"No." Kai said in realization, "They're trying to split Tyson and I up."

"Well, that makes sense. You and Tyson are quite formidable on your own. But together..."

Kai thought everything over again. In the video Boris had said "You and Tyson". If it had truly been just him and Tyson, he would have gone to Russia and Tyson would have gone to the one here in Japan. In the Justice 5 tournament, Tyson was the one who had taken initiative and had stood up against Boris and BEGA. Which meant... "Boris is here in Japan, and Kusenov is in Russia, and both are traps just waiting to be sprung." He forced himself to think like Kusenov.

Kusenov needed leverage. Chances were good that he had hired Boris to get that leverage. They would've figured out right away that their 'hostages' were not the real Blitzkrieg Boyz...but they would've had Tyson... He clentched his teeth in anger. Another realization came to mind; he had Tyson's phone. He quickly ran out the room and tossed the phone into the air, then launched Dranzer. When they made contact, the device shattered into millions of pieces. He caught his blade.

"Hey! What the heck was that for?!" shouted Tyson.

Smoothly Kai said. "You're now a target. Boris probably traced your phone which is why he knew that we were still in Japan. I wouldn't be surprised if he's on his way here now." He looked at the Russians. "We need to move."

"Yeah, but where to Kai?" asked Spencer, "Do we stay and take care of Boris? Or do we go after Kusenov?"

Kai smirked. "We're gonna shut-down this whole damn operation.

* * *

Mr. Dickenson put a cloth to his forehead and wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed there. Taking on Hiwatari Enterprises had massive amounts of paperwork and it was very unsettling the way the name 'Tovi Lob' kept popping up. Maybe Kai or Tala knew something about it. His office door suddenly burst open. _Speak of the Devil!_ He thought as Kai Hiwatari and the Blitzkrieg Boyz strutted through. He was really surprised to see Tyson Kinomiya trailing in with Kenny on his back. "Can I help you boys?"

Before anyone could open their mouth, Tyson beat them to it. "BioVolt's back Mr. D! Think ya could give us some back-up?" he grinned.

 _Oh my. This is going to be a very long day._ Thought the Director.

* * *

"Alright let's go through this one more time." everyone groaned and looked at the world champion.

"What's not to get, kid? Us Blitzkrieg Boyz will take a few of Dickenson's men and capture Boris, while you and Sunshine confront Kusenov with a whole bunch of men, while Judy and the BBA team in America will take down the headquarters there." said Bryan, annoyed, ignoring Kai's death glare at his new nickname.

"Jeez, sorry. Just wondering when anyone had time to even inform Max's mom to what the hell is going on here."

Everyone stopped and just as Mr. Dickenson's hand went to the phone, Kai said, "Don't bother, I already took care of it." There were no more questions.

12 hours later, everyone was in position. They were all using Kenny's communication devices, which worked perfectly even across the globe (he had sent the blueprints to Emily so they could re-create them there). Kai had allowed Dickenson's men to pilot the Dranzer 2000 aircraft in favour of getting some sleep. As there was a limited amount of room with the extra men on-board, he had decided to take the aisle seat next to Tyson. He had to fight back a blush when he woke up however, as the pony-tailed teen had been using his shoulder as a headrest. A part of him cursed himself for not just stopping in China and placing Kenny and Tyson in the care of the White Tigers until this was all over with.

But as he now stared at the ominous building that his grandfather had built, with his closest friend next to him, the one person who had never given up on him; he couldn't help but feel invincible.

"Ready to save the world again, Kai?" came Tyson's confident voice. Crimson locked with cinnamon and the CEO felt the last of his nerves leave his body.

"Let's get this over with." he stepped forward and, in a dramatic fashion, slammed open the double doors to the building. Strutting through the halls, he watched in satisfaction as people started cowarding behind their desks.

He and Tyson entered the elevator and he pressed the button for the top floor. Once they reached the their floor, he made a bee-line for Tala's office. He kicked open the oak doors to reveal Kusenov sitting pretty in the director's chair. A smirk playing on his lips.

"Ah, Young Kai. I see you got my invitation. Please, sit down and we'll get this started. His blue eyes widened when he saw the Japanese teen next to him.

Tyson smirked. "Betcha you're surprised to see me."

"Yes, well I just thought Kai would let this be an adult discussion, and leave the kids at home." he glared at the CEO.

"Yes, well I thought this would be a golden opportunity to teach the kid what exactly happens when you try to take things that don't belong to you." he snapped his fingers and 30 armed men came into the room. "This game is over Kusenov."

The ex-general laughed. "My my. I would've never guessed that you would be so cold and risk your friends being hurt." he held up a button. "Once this button is pressed, Boris will kill them."

Kai lifted an eyebrow. "Kill who exactly? Tala and his team are alive and well in one of my safe houses."

"Ha. Good bluff, but I saw those boys personally." he grinned.

"Funny. So did I. This morning. And they were all in great health. Not bashed in to the point where they were _**hardly recognizable**._ " He watched Kusenov look from him to Tyson and back to him again. His face turned from white to red then to purple, and Kai found himself wishing he had a camera. "Should've learned by now, Kusenov. Never trust Boris." He glare turned deadly. "Now get out of my chair."

The man slumped, knowing that he had been defeated. He let the officers take him away, leaving just Kai and Tyson alone in the room. "Good riddance." said Tyson. He watched as Kai strode over to the desk and started examining files. "Something wrong, buddy?"

The dual-haired man grabbed a piece of paper and carefully folded it before putting it in his breast pocket. "No." He activated the talk button on his device. "We're all clear. Status reports."

Judy's voice was the first to come through. "Tovi Lob in America has been successfully terminated."

"Good. Tala?" They were met with silence. "Tala?"

"Boris isn't here. This entire place is deserted." Both Kai and Tyson's eyes widened.

"Check it thoroughly!" snapped Kai.

"We're doing that!" hissed Tala. "It's 3AM in the fucking morning here! There's no people, no hostages, noth-" there was a deafening blast, he heard Tala scream – then static.

"Judging from the looks on your faces, I'll assume that your friends ran into my present."

Shivers ran up both of their spines and they turned to see Boris. Kai noticed that the man was wearing a gas mask – too little, too late. By the time he had pulled up his scarf to use it as a filter, his vision was already becoming blurry. He fought against the tempting lulls of sleep, stumbling his way to Tyson. The last thing he saw was the bluenette collapsing, before his own body hit the carpeted floor and the darkness took over.

* * *

So they took down Kusenov and discovered that Boris used Kusenov to capture them and now they are in the clutches of Boris.

Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review to let me know what you think :)


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I wonder what Takao Aoki does with all his money that he made off a story about spinning tops...

Hello again guys! So it's Thursday September 25th at 1:42 in the morning and I have learned that the internet has been disconnected so here I am writing...(I literally do not have a life outside of work). So to my wonderful and faithful friends; Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower and adbhut, this is for you! (Seriously you guys are the only reason why I update, you have no idea how much I love you all lol)

So here is the dreaded chapter 9...

WARNINGS: This chapter might be hard to read for some...I won't say all the warnings in fear of giving stuff away. So I recommend having some tissues, and maybe a stuff bear and yeah...your gonna hate Boris. I'm sorry. So...all the warnings in existence!

* * *

Slowly mahogany eyes opened, then quickly shut again in pain. His throbbing head was killing him! He tried to remember what had happened. The image of Boris' twisted smile came to him and he shot up. He remembered! Taking down Kusenov, the line with Tala suddenly going dead, Boris surprising them...Kai! He looked to his left, relieved to see Kai's sleeping form. He shook his former captain. "Kai? Kai! Wake up buddy, we're in trouble!" When he didn't respond, Tyson got worried. "KAI!" Immediately fearing the worst, he rolled the man's body over and pressed his ear to his chest listening for a heartbeat. When he heard the steady pumping of the organ, his worries subsided and he took a deep breath.

He looked at his surroundings. They appeared to be in some sort of cell. There were two beds on opposite concrete walls and a small toilet. The floor was cold and everything was absolutely filthy. Noticing a small door, he tried it, unsurprised to find it locked. On pure reflex he reached for his blade, brown eyes widening when his fingers only met with air.

Dejected, he sunk to his knees. "Kai, you need to wake up. We don't have our blades and we're stuck in this dump. I-I," he gulped. "I don't know what to do." A familiar warmth wrapped around his heart. "Dra-Dragoon?" he asked into the darkness.

"Come now Tyson, you have to be strong. I believe in you as you have believed in me." the beast whispered to him. As the warmth slowly disappeared, the World Champion stood up.

"Thanks buddy. Don't worry, I'll get you, Dranzer and Kai all out of here. I'll get us all home." he smiled as he thought of it. Home was his cooky grandfather, Kai's cats and Kai all at the dojo together. Home was him and Kai beyblading, practising new moves. He had to go home.

With new-found strength, and confidence he pounded on the steel door. "Hey Boris! Get one of your goons here to let us out! You hear me?" To his surprise, within seconds the door opened. A huge wall of a man appeared. He had short, spiky blonde hair with side burns and piercing blue eyes and wore a black business suit. He felt himself being picked up and thrown over the man's shoulder. "Hey! What's the big idea?!"

"I will take you to Master Boris." his booming voice echoed through the small room.

"I can walk on my own, ya know!"

The brute laughed. "But you will try to escape."

"Can't blame a guy for trying."

Tyson watched as they passed several different laboratories and he took notice of the many different cameras. When they came to a stop he listened as the brute knocked on the door. He the found himself placed surprisingly gently on the floor in the middle of the room. His eyes were immediately drawn to the grand desk and to the man smirking behind it. Putting his hands on his hips, the teenager said "Ok, what is your grand plan for world domination this time?"

"Oh my dear Tyson. All this time and not a simple 'hello'?" the old man chided, Tyson just glared. "After you and Brooklyn destroyed BEGA and all of my dreams of getting rich off a pro-blader league were shattered, I found myself broke and penniless, until I came into the acquaintance of a man named Gideon." Noting the glimmer of recognition in the teen's face he continued, "He really is a brilliant man, and we realized we had a common goal; To create the ultimate bitbeast and to take our revenge."

Boris grinned darkly and Tyson found his arms being pulled up and chained to the centre of the ceiling, his feet dangling a few centimetres off the ground. "What gives?!" he cried, trying to worm his hands out of the shackles.

"You know Tyson, you are a very infuriating little boy." came a new voice, one that sent shivers up Tyson's spine, his cinnamon eyes watched as Gideon emerged from the shadows. "And yet, you are the strongest blader in the world. What's even more remarkable is that you've had no special training."

"Yeah, so I'm awesome, what's your point?" spat the captive.

"We just want to know what to look for when selecting our own bladers and to see how they will fair with our bitbeast."

Tyson's body stiffened. "Wait, you actually made a bitbeast?"

"Yes and its far superior to the cyber-bitbeast and even stronger than Black Dranzer!" Gideon said proudly.

"Wow. You still haven't learned yet have you?" said Tyson shaking his head. "Bitbeasts are not something that can be controlled. They are our friends!"

"Hmph, in that case we'll just need to find the perfect 'friend' for our creation." said Boris. "But first, you're going to test it for us."

"Keep dreaming! There is no way I'm going to help you purple-haired sideshow freaks!" growled the teen.

Boris sighed. "We'd figure you'd react this way, that's why we've taken certain measures." A platform rose up from the ground with Dragoon and Dranzer. Each man took a blade and, to Tyson's horror, they held a knife to their bit-pieces. "Now if you don't help us, we'll destroy them!"

Tyson laughed.

"Arg! Don't you understand?! We will destroy your precious Dragoon!" growled Gideon.

"Wow, and everyone calls me stupid." he said rolling his eyes, "If they're gone, you guys will have no way to see if your bitbeast can defeat mine."

The two villains looked at each other. "He's smarter than we thought." whispered Gideon.

Boris smirked. "But still a fool all the same." he cleared his throat. "Yes, but we have something that we can destroy."

"Oh and what would that be?" glared Tyson. "Each other, I hope."

"Oh nothing much, just one of your 'precious friends'... Kai." Boris licked his lips as the delicious look of fear came over the child's face.

"Don't you _**dare**_ touch him." Tyson's fear turned into white-hot anger and Dragoon's blade glowed brightly as Tyson felt Dragoon's icy-cool power flow through him. A small breeze swept through the room, before quickly transforming into gale-force winds. Everything was flown through the room and the villains struggled to stay on their feet. "If you hurt him, I promise I will take down this whole damn building with me." Tyson's voice echoed and the windows shattered to get the message across. The winds soon died down, leaving a very breathless Tyson, who glared then men down.

Gideon marvelled at the boy. "Extraordinary. Your bond is so strong with your bitbeast, you can channel his powers through you. I wonder if any other holder of a sacred beast can do the same."

"Kai can." answered Boris. "The young man burned 20 of Kusenov's finest men to protect little Kinomiya here." he ran his hand along Tyson's tanned cheek, making the boy's skin crawl. "Unfortunately for you, he's in a coma."

Tyson's heart stopped. "What did you sickos do to him?!"

"It seems that the knock-out gas wasn't enough to keep him down. He woke up half way here and had nearly escaped with you in his arms." Tyson's breath hitched. "My men put him to sleep using tranquilizers. We've then decided to just keep him that way." explained Boris.

"So why not just let him go? There's no way you'd waste all that money and resources to just keep him here, unless..." Brown eyes widened in realization. "You need him for something, don't you?" he brighten when he saw the looks of annoyance on the scientist's faces. "Oh man you should see your faces!" he chuckled, "Guess that means you've run out of blackmail, huh? So how about we just do this the easy way? You go back to whatever sewer you were living in and you leave me and my friends alone, deal?"

"Hehehehe, oh Tyson. You have so much left to learn." Boris gave him a twisted grin, before he pulled his arm back and punched the young boy in the stomach, making Tyson cough and splutter as the air was forced out of his lungs. He wanted to double over in pain, but the restraints prevented him from doing so. He looked up at his captures with defiant eyes.

"You hit like a bitch."

That comment earned him another devastating blow. "Hit me all you want, I'll never help you!" he spat in the man's face.

"Don't worry. We'll break you eventually." Boris promised as he hit the teen again. This time Tyson heard a sickening crack and the wave of pain made his body want to convulse. A metallic taste filled his mouth and he spat. Blood dirtied the wine-coloured carpet.

The Dragon Master smirked. "Just try it."

* * *

Hours later, guards dragged Tyson's limp body back to his cell and threw him into the room, the Japanese teen landed on his stomach with a pained groan emerging from his lips.

Everything hurt. He was sure at least 4 of his ribs were broken, his chest burned from the slashings he had received from the whip, and he was pretty sure if he looked in the mirror he would throw-up in disgust. His arms...he was surprised that with the amount of time that he had spent hanging, they hadn't dislocated, they felt like he had been holding up a truck all day! Relieved to find that his legs were relatively undamaged, he crawled his way over to Kai and curled his broken form on the Russian's strong, warm chest and somehow just felt a little safer.

"Kai?" his voice was horse and his breaths were raspy. "I-I know that B-Boris said you were in a c-coma...b-but that doesn't mean you can't h-hear me, right?" he was met with silence, but breathing in Kai's mint and cinnamon scent, he was instantly calmed. "Boris wants me to test his and Giddeon's...yeah...the purple-haired sideshow freaks are working together...they want me to test their bitbeast. They want to see how it compares to Dragoon. I would never agree to help those psychos, but I don't know how much more of this I can take. I won't leave you and Dranzer. I'll fight for as long as I can." Water droplets stung his eyes and fell down his cheeks. This was the first time he had cried since Kai had walked back into his life again. "Please, wake-up. Wake-up so I can bust us out of here and were can go home. Remember home? With me, Gramps and your cats at the dojo?" he sniffed.

"They told me you had carried me when you tried to escape. I can't stop wondering that if I had just stayed out of this, you would have broken free already. I'm sorry, this is all my fault. All I do is hold you back." he sobbed. The tears flowed freely now. He cried there, lying on the dirty, concrete floor with his unconscious best friend. Broken and bleeding, crying his heart out as the wonderful, gentle arms of sleep slowly pulled him in.

* * *

~ _Dream~_

 _Tyson found himself at the river where he had first met Kai. It was sunset and the red and orange hues made it seem like everything was encased in a gentle fire. The wind was warm and it blew around him invitingly._

" _Kinomiya_ _?" he spun around towards that smoky voice – the one he would know anywhere._

 _"Kai!" he breathed, happy to see him, but he was looking at him with pain and guilt in his eyes. "Kai?"_

 _"What have they done to you?" the older choked out, the words barely above a whisper. Tyson looked down, his wounds clearly visible. This wasn't a normal dream. This was somehow –_

 ** _real._**

 _"It doesn't matter. I won't let them break me. But you need to wake up Kai! I won't leave without you!"_

 _The man gave a slow, sad smile. "I can't. I've been trying. All day. But every time I get close, I'm pulled back here again. It must be because they give me another round of drugs."_

 _Tyson's eyes widened. "You know you're in a coma?"_

 _The dual-haired teen nodded. "Sometimes when the medication is wearing off, I can hear everything...I just can't opened my eyes."_

 _"Oh."_

 _They stared at each other for a moment. "You should just leave me. Boris won't kill me with you gone, he'll have no choice but to wake me up and I can make my escape then."_

 _"No way Kai!" protested the bluenette._

 _"Kinomiya." growled Kai, warningly._

 _"You were shot with freaking tranquilizers Kai! Tranquilizers!" he crossed his arms. "I'm not leaving you with theses mad men!"_

 _"But-" his voice dropped to a whisper. "I can't leave you with these monsters either."_

 _A soft smile came over Tyson's face. "Don't worry, I can handle it. I'll figure out someway to get us both out of here. You can bet on it." he slammed his fist on his chest, forgetting about his wounds and groaned in pain._

 _Crimson eyes softened and he laid a hand on his rival's shoulder. "Well if you insist on being an idiot – let me help." he pulled the smaller into a tight embrace._

 _"Kai?"_

 _"Shush. Close your eyes. Do you hear her?"_

 _Tyson did as instructed and concentrated, then he heard it. That unmistakeable screech. "Dranzer?"_

 _Both of their bodies started glowing a shimmering red as Dranzer's power flowed through them. Slowly Tyson opened his eyes. All of his pain was gone! He looked up at Kai to tell him, shocked to find tears running down painted cheeks. Gently he wiped them away._

 _At first Kai was stunned by the action, then leaned into the touch. "Phoenix's tears have healing powers." Tyson nodded in understanding and he felt the Phoenix Master hold him closer. "Just...don't die Tyson."_

 _Tyson smiled. This was the first time Kai had ever used his first name. "Don't worry. I have no intentions of letting them win." he chuckled. "We've been through evil child soldiers, evil bitbeasts, dark bladers, evil robots and Brooklyn. There's no way I'm going to let Boris or Gideon beat me." he looked down at his hands. "Woah. What the-?" His hands were becoming more transparent by the second._

 _"You're waking up." Kai's grip tighten around the boy. "Goddamn bastards are limiting your sleep. The day I wake up, I will make them all pay!" He looked down and looked into Tyson's bright brown eyes. "Be strong, Kinomiya. Don't let them break you."_

 _Tyson gave him his championship smile. "I won't Kai." His body disappeared and Kai was left hugging himself._

 _Rage poured through the Russian and he slammed his fist into the ground. "You had better pray I never wake up Boris! When I do, I'll show you no mercy! How_ _ **dare**_ _you hurt him!" tears ran down his cheeks. "TYSON!"_

 _His Dranzer blade suddenly spun next to him a_ _nd Kai' chuckled darkly._ _"That's right. I have all the time in the world to train." he picked up the blade and clutched it into his hand. He loaded it into his launcher and took a deep breath and widened his stance. "Let it RIP!"_

 _~End Dream~_

* * *

Freezing cold wetness brought back the bluenette from the thralls of slumber. "Hey is it too much to ask for a little shut-eye before I get tortured?" He grumbled at the figures in the room that had yet to come into focus.

"Well that depends if you're willing to assist us." came Boris' sickly sweet voice.

"Keep dreaming you deranged psycho. I would rather take on a thousand Brooklyns than join you any day!" he rubbed his eyes and his vision finally became clear. Boris was in his cell along with the behemoth of a man from yesterday and another guy who looked like he spent way too much time at the gym.

He glanced over at Kai, his heart fluttered when he saw the tear-stains that were left on his cheeks (and yet didn't smudge his blue face paint). Noticing the lack of pain he was in only confirmed what his heart had knew all along. That was no dream. He was suddenly happy that his face and clothes were still caked with dried blood. He couldn't let the men see that his injuries had been miraculously healed.

"Maybe a thousand lashings will make you change your tune. Shall we return to the torture chamber?" the former head-priest asked, signalling his employees to grab the teenager. He was unnerved when his captive showed no fear at all. Just that unwavering, defiant, cocky glare. Then again, Kai had the same defiance and it took weeks before he finally submitted.

Though – that was because he was trying desperately to save one of the boys at the abbey. He glanced over at the unconscious, yet beautiful Russian. He still remembered how tight the then 10-year old's ass was. All those delicious moans and screams. Right now it would be so easy to take the sleeping boy here on the floor.

A freezing blast of wind brought him into reality and into the icy, protective glare of Tyson Kinomiya. "So are we going to get this over with or not?"

"Hmm, so impatient for your beating? Well since you're so eager..."

As the four men walked down the hallway, Tyson couldn't help but to be unnerved with the way Boris had been looking at Kai. The look was hungry, lustful and longing, He decided to go with his gut and do everything in his power to keep the man away from Kai.

* * *

He screamed as the whip broke through flesh. His wounds throbbed in pain. His vision was beginning to blacken around the edges. Damn. He had lost a lot of blood.

"Well, you two seem to have this handled." through his blurred vision he watched Boris turn to leave. Panicking, he focused his energy and to his satisfaction he heard a door slam.

"What's wrong Boris? A little blood making ya queezy?" he challenged, breathing heavily, his blood-soaked hair clinging to his face.

"Not at all. In fact, spill a little more." Boris watched in satisfaction at the fear that flooded the little upstart's face as he took out a serrated knife from his pocket. He jabbed into the boy's shoulder, erupting a delightful scream from the child. Wanting to prolong the pain, he twisted the dagger. "I don't know who you think you are Tyson Kinomiya, but I will break you." he whispered.

"Heh. I'm the one who you will never break." the last thing he saw was the fist coming towards his face.

* * *

 _~Dream~_

 _"Tyson! Oh god! Tyson!" Kai caught the blood-soaked teenager and gently placed him on his lap. This wasn't good, even in this realm the boy was unconscious. "Tyson, wake up! Come back to me!" Tears fell from his eyes and landed on the child below him. The boy's body glowed briefly before mahogany eyes finally opened._

 _"Kai?" he brushed away the tears from pale cheeks. "It's ok, I'm fine."_

 _A comfortable silence followed as Kai cradled his beloved's head to his chest. "Why did you push yourself so hard?"_

 _"To protect you."_

 _Kai froze. "Protect me from what?"_

 _"Boris. I didn't like the way he was looking at you." The taller sighed. Despite his best attempts, he couldn't hide everything in his past. "I'm right to be worried, aren't I?"_

 _"Don't worry about it. It's nothing I can't handle." he stroked the boy's blue hair softly._

 _"Doesn't matter. If I can prevent it, I will. No one deserves to go through everything you've gone through."_

 _"Least of all you, Kinomiya. Let me fight my own battles."_

 _Brown eyes filled with tears. "The thing is you can't."_

 _Kai froze and for the first time realized how truly weak and powerless he was._

 _There was nothing he could do to protect himself or Tyson. Meanwhile Tyson was willing to die and take on all of Boris' evil. Fresh tears started to fall._

 _Both boys cried silently in their beautiful, perfect world with the everlasting sunset. One for the one who could not protect himself and one for the one who believed he could protect everyone._

* * *

Their tears awakened the beasts who watched over them. They could feel their fear, their sadness, their guilt. Enough was enough. Combining their powers, they created a purple barrier on their door. One that would give their masters the time they needed to have a fighting chance.

* * *

 **A/N- *Hands out tissues** * Alright, that was so hard and painful to write and it brought a tear to my eye. So now you know how evil Boris is. Yes, yes I know Kai being raped as a child is a storyline that is so overused...but after watching the part where Kai sees Boris for the first time in season 1 and not even allowing him touch him, and the fact that Kai flinches at any unwanted touch throughout the series...that kinda screams sexual abuse to me. (Trust me, I would know the signs better than anyone.)

That being said if you are going through any kind of abuse and need someone to talk to, PM me. I'll always answer.

Now if you are in desperate need of something uplifting, check-out my story "Oatmeal" it's a KaixTyson one-shot that's a perfect way to brighten your mood after this horrible chapter.

Why didn't the bitbeasts help sooner you wonder? Well...it's fanfiction, it's not gonna be perfect.

Why does Kai seem so out of character in this chapter and super sweet? Well...Tyson is bleeding all over him...plus when Wyatt was dying in his arms, Kai seemed sweeter than usual. Also in their space world with all the stars...Kai seemed to completely drop his cold exterior. Soooo...yeah...Kai's sweet for a chapter...enjoy it.

And yes...even after all of that...they still haven't confessed their love (I seriously thought about it while writing this)...but nope. They're idiots and think any closeness they have is because they're each other's best friend, their bond as rivals and best friends...They're just idiots...

Leave me a review, constructive criticism and flames are welcome. So is praise. ;)


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade, but I wish I did. Then I would've made this story I'm writing into a reality...

So once again a huge thank-you to Little A Granger, Tyka's flower and adbhut for reviewing, and I'm sorry for all the heartache the last chapter caused. A big thank-you to those of you who are following this story and are adding it to your favourite's list.

Warnings: ALL THE WARNINGS!

* * *

Cerise eyes opened and Kai became painfully aware of how much his head throbbed. He tried to look at his surroundings, but found himself unable to focus on anything. He rolled onto his side and felt something warm pressed up against his chest. The familiar stormy scent flooded his senses, but something else was in the air. Blood. Adrenaline pumped through his veins forcing him out of his groggy state and into reality. Taking one look at Tyson, his heart ached. A once yellow shirt was torn and stained crimson. A handsome face was now too pale for tanned skin and splattered with blood.

He knew what he saw in that dream world was bad, but here...it was so much more real. Delicately he lifted up the t-shirt relived to find unmarred flesh and relief washed over him. Dranzer's healing power had worked. He hugged the boy closer to his his chest, afraid that he was going to disappear again.

Boris was a dead man. He wanted to leave and go after the asshole right here and now, but he couldn't leave Tyson and he knew from experience that it would be too slow to just carry the teenager. He had no choice but to wait till the Dragon Master awoke.

He looked around the cell and rolled his eyes. "Really Boris? You couldn't at least have given us a sink?" he sighed, picked up Tyson and placed him gently on one of the beds and tried to figure a way out. No windows, everything was made out of cement and he highly suspected there was a security camera in one of the ceiling tiles. He cocked an eyebrow. That might help. Though if that was the case, he was surprised that Boris or Gideon and their goons hadn't busted down the door trying to put him under again. He went to the door and placed his hands on the cool steel and was surprised to feel both Dranzer's and Dragoon's presence.

Just like that all his questions were answered. It all made sense! Why he was able to wake up. Why Boris' men didn't arrive yet. Their bitbeasts had made a shield around the door, preventing anyone from entering. This was now or never. He shook Tyson's shoulder. "Kinomiya, wake up!" When there was no response, he did the only thing he could think of...he punched the teen square in the jaw.

"Ow! What the hell?" cinnamon eyes opened and his pain was instantly forgotten. "Kai! You're awake! I think you beat my ultimate sleep record."

"Let's skip the comedy act and get out of here."

Tyson scratched the back of his head. "Ok, any ideas? Unless you can break a door down or break through concrete, we're stuck and we still need to get our blades."

Feeling frustrated, Kai glared at the floor as if it were solely responsible for their predicament. He imagined Boris' stupid smirking face, laughing at how helpless they were without their blades.

"Hey! You're doing it again!"

Kai looked at Tyson. "What?"

"That flaming thing you do with your eyes bro! Look at the floor!" Kai looked and sure enough there was a smoking hole in the exact spot that he was glaring so intently. Tyson looked at his friend with an uneasy look. "Um...talk about a death-glare."

"Well I've figured out an escape route."He smirked. Summoning his anger, he continued glaring a hole in he floor until it was just wide enough for both of them to escape. They dropped down into an empty hallway. "And that's why you put your captives in the basement."

Tyson snorted. "We would've just busted through the ceiling."

Deciding that the ventilation was their best bet at moving around undetected, the pair slid their way through the dark, dusty, narrow passage ways, using their bond with their beasts to guide them through the maze. Finally feeling their partner's presence right below them, they peered through the small slits in the vent. They could see Gideon yelling at the scientists.

"I don't care if you haven't finished running the tests yet! The prisoners escaped and will be here at any moment to take them!" Gideon was obviously planning on taking the blades before they could. Sharing a nod, they opened the vent and jumped to the floor.

"Looking for us?" challenged Tyson.

Gideon looked startled. "You! After the beating Boris gave you, you shouldn't be walking?!"

"Yeah, well nothing can keep the world champion down for long!" he boasted, rubbing his nose.

Kai stepped forward. "Give us our blades. Now."

Gideon smirked. "I don't think so." He slammed down on a button and beyblades were fired from all sides. The duo jumped out of the way, but not quickly enough as Kai's left cheek and Tyson's right arm were grazed. Gideon grabbed their blades and ran out the room.

"Arg! We don't have time for this!" growled Kai, as he narrowly dodged two of the deadly tops.

"Then it's time to level the playing field." Kai felt the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end, as he struggled to stay on his feet as the Dragon Master summoned hurricane- force winds, blowing away the spinning tops.

"Couldn't you have done that sooner?"

"Yeah, well it's not easy to concentrate when you're being attacked."

"It's called multitasking." the sound of a spinning blade, caught the Russian's attention as it launched itself at Tyson. Kai glared and it spontaneously combusted in mid-air. "Like that."

"Show-off." grumbled the younger. "I totally had that!"

"Yeah, before or after it split your face open?" he bolted towards the door before Tyson could retort. "C'mon that creep has our blades!"

"Oh! Right!"

Unfortunately as soon they stepped foot outside the room, sirens started going off. **"Intruder Alert! Warning: Intruder Alert!"**

"Arg! Can't these people give us a break?" screamed the bluenette.

"Less talking, more running!" said Kai over his shoulder as he noticed walls were coming down to seal the exits.

The pounding of their feet echoed off the walls as they ran down the corridor, trying to catch-up with Gideon. All too soon they were blocked as one of the walls slammed down in front of them. Remembering that theses guys were a fan of knock-out gas, Kai quickly pulled up his scarf covering his nose and mouth and ripped off a piece and gave it to Tyson. He glared at the wall and thought about all the suffering Boris had put Tyson through.

 **BOOM!**

The wall exploded and the pair continued running, Kai blasting down the walls with Tyson closely following behind. He found his vision started to blur as he began to run-low on energy and from the gas that was slowly filling the hallway. Suddenly Boris was before them and Kai protectively put Tyson behind him, putting him out of Boris' view.

"My my, I never expected you to get this far, then again you were my best student."

"Y'know Boris, after meeting you, I find myself in favour of abortion in cases of incest."

Tyson couldn't hold back his snicker. "Bet he was so ugly, the doctors had to tint the windows of his incubator." Boris glared at them. "Hey Kai, you think his undertaker knows he's up?"

"You should toss out more funny remarks boys." his voice got low, "That's all they're good for." He watched in satisfaction as Kai and Tyson finally collapsed. This time he would show no mercy.

* * *

A piercing scream brought him out of the blackness. He fought off the grogginess as he tried to focus. Slowly the image became clear and he found himself in a nightmare. Chained to the wall, caked in dried and fresh blood, was his beloved. As the whip came down on the teen's bare chest, Kai moved to protect him, only to discover in horror that he was also bound. He watched helplessly as a horse scream ripped out from the boy's throat.

"TYSON!"

He found two pairs of eyes on him, but was immediately lost in the ever-defiant, doe-brown of his rival. Eyes that burned brightly, emulating the light that was inside the owner's soul, telling Kai all that he needed to know -Tyson was far from broken.

"Ah, Young Kai. I'm glad that you're finally back in the world of the living, now we can have some real fun." Boris' voice dripped with malice, wrapped in a fake pleasantness. The man turned back to Tyson and swiftly brought down the whip again, at once Tyson screamed out in pain, his skin broke open and blood started to drip down the boy's torso.

Breathing heavily, the bluenette looked through his blood-soaked bangs. "Heh. Is that all you got?"

The madman cackled. "Trust me, my dear boy, this is only the beginning." As Boris' hands reached for his belt, Kai's heart-rate soared as red-hot furry flooded his veins.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!"

Boris paused his actions and looked at the dual-haired man. "Don't worry, you'll get your turn soon enough." he said dismissively.

All Kai saw was red.

White-hot power power poured through his veins and he glared at their tormentor, twin blazing beams of fire shot through his eyes – only to stop short. He tried again and again. Still nothing could get through the seemingly invisible barrier which protected the monster.

"Oh, I'm aware of your special abilities, Kai. It's truly remarkable. Those burns you left on Kusenov's men? Some parts of their skin were completely melted. Well done. But I came prepared. What is in between us is merely a sample of the new energy absorbing glass one of my moles were able to acquire from the BBA research facility. As you can see, it's quite effective."

Kai growled. He noticed his Dranzer laying on a table to his left.

"Now where were we? Ah, yes, I remember." he snapped his fingers and Gideon came into view on his right. "Do what you will with that one." he nodded over in Kai's direction. "I want to play with this one a little longer."

A cruel smirk played on the billionaire's lips. "Gladly."

Panic surged through him as the man came towards him. He tried to use his powers, only to discover the man had a glass shield. "You'll need to come up with a new trick to escape me, boy." Gideon laughed, slowly undoing his belt with his free-hand.

Across the room, Tyson in his worn and pitiful state, pieced everything together. If he didn't figure out something soon, they were going to be viciously raped...Kai was going to be raped. Right in front of him." I won't let it end like this." he whispered.

The hairs on the back of Kai's neck stood on end. He turned his attention to his rival, his long locks were swaying. "Hey Boris!" Tyson said, his voice strong. "Go to hell and stay there!"

A sudden force threw back the mastermind and he hit the concrete wall, _hard._

Tyson's hair was whipping around violently in the air and he fell to the ground, and it took Kai a minute to realize that the wind had cut through the chains.

Gideon was distracted, watching the scene unfold before him, entranced by the World Champion's power. Seizing the opportunity, Kai grabbed his shackles and concentrated. They melted instantly.

Mahogany met crimson. They each took identical stances, one foot forward, one foot back and concentrated their powers into a small ball.

"3...2...1...Let it RIP!" They launched their attack simultaneously at the glass, the only thing that separated them. To their horror, it stood. Completely undamaged.

Remembering his blade, Kai raced back to the table. Gideon blocked his way. "You're not going to ruin our plans this time, you little brat!"

"And since when does rape have anything to do with world domination?" asked Kai, coolly.

The look in Giddeon's black eyes screamed danger. "Well, how else would we create a bitbeast?"

Everything clicked then. Tala's Wolborg. Bryan's Falborg, Spencer's Seaborg, Ian's Wyborg. Bile rose up in his throat and he was sure he was going to be sick. He was grabbed by the throat and pressed up against the wall, the hand crushing his wind-pipe making it difficult to breathe. "This is my life's work and Boris opened up my eyes to what my cyber-bitbeasts were missing. Together we will create the strongest bitbeast and you will help us control it." he leaned in close, "Boris said you were a screamer..."

Kai was paralysed as buried memories came to the forefront of his mind. It had started because he had protected another kid from a beating, expecting a lashing. No, instead he was taken to Boris' office where he was bound, gagged as Boris' stripped away his innocence. The pain of having his insides torn apart was still the most excruciating thing he had ever experienced. The most humiliating.

Worst of all it all, it happened many times. There had been times where he had enjoyed it, craved it even. How many times had he laid awake, a moaning, writhing mess, his hand expertly pumping his shaft until he reached sweet completion?

Black Dranzer had helped him block all those memories. She had helped him escape that hell-hole.

Enraged, he grabbed the madman's arm. "Burn in hell, asshole!" Flames shot out of his hand and Gideon screamed in agony and released him. He fell to the floor and coughed, rubbing his neck and breathing in sweet oxygen.

"Kai! You okay?" called Tyson from the other side of the glass. Kai only nodded. His eyes widening when he saw Boris' looming shadow coming up behind the boy's shoulder.

"Behind you!" he shouted, his voice horse from the strangulation.

Tyson spun around and delivered a hard punch, knocking Boris to the floor unconscious. "Thanks buddy!" Sighing in relief, Kai picked up his blade and launcher, and when he turned back to the glass, he found Tyson with his own blade ready for launch. "Ready Kai? 3...2...1...LET IT RIP!"

White and navy blades made a beeline for the thick glass, sparks flying when they made contact, the blades pulled back slightly before they slammed back into the glass. Putting all of their energy into their blades, they summoned the ancient spirits within.

"Dragoon!"

"Dranzer!"

The legendary beasts emerged and attacked the glass. The ground and walls shook with the impact, yet the bladers stood strong, each channelling their power into their guardians. Both blades assaulted the same spot, hoping to weaken it.

Their eyes made contact and time seem to stop. Tyson's face contorted into one of fear, and Kai finally sensed the danger behind him. He spun around and narrowly dodged the knife. Side-stepping to the right, his first connected with Giddeon's jaw, sending the man spiralling to the floor. "That one was for Wyatt. Now do me a favour and stay down, I have no more time to waste on you."

The man only groaned, signalling his defeat. Scarlet eyes then turned their attention to the barrier. "Dranzer!" His blade continued its ruthless attacks and soon a crack formed. "That's it! Only a little more Dranzer!"

"C'mon Dragoon, let's give it all we got!"

The tops rammed the glass at full force and it shattered. Thousands of shards going in every direction as the barrier fell. The blades returned to their exhausted owners, who locked eyes for a brief moment, before Tyson's legs gave way.

Kai caught him before he hit the ground, now very aware of how fragile the boy was. Cuts and gashes littered his body, on both his torso and his back. From Tyson's cracked lips, it was safe to say he probably hadn't had food or water in days. As if answering his unsaid question, Tyson's stomach rumbled like thunder.

"Kaaaaiiii! Can we please get out of here and go to a buffet?" whined the 17 year old.

Kai couldn't help but break out into a grin. Same old Tyson. "Just one last thing." Gingerly placing the boy on the ground, he grabbed some spare shackles and dragged their unconscious capture's bodies and chained them to a large support beam, using his powers to melt and fuse the chain links together. He picked up Tyson bridal-style and finally left their prison, his tattered scarf flowing freely behind him.

* * *

 **A/N-** Fuck this chapter, I'm sorry I ever fucking wrote it. Boris and Gideon deserve to die. But no...Kai had to take care of Tyson. Trust me, if he didn't have to, he would've BBQ'd them both! This writer does not get her way...(seriously do you know how many arguments I get into with Kai and Tyson in my head?)

So yes, the demolition boys went through the same sexual abuse that Kai did and Boris somehow harnessed the energy and created their bitbeasts.

I remember reading Black Dranzer was originally Rasputin's, so there is no reason that Kai had to go through any of the abuse, especially since Kai had Dranzer...Boris is just an asshole. This is just a reason why Kai was so obsessed with power, if he had more of it, he could escape Boris. Black Dranzer helped him forget everything which is why he was so drawn to her power in season 1. I like to think the bitbeast took pity on him and wanted to full-fill his desires which is why he was the only reason he could control her.

So yeah, please send your reviews.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, but I'm looking to buy the rights! I got...*scrummages around in pockets* $18.67 and some pocket lint? No? Damn.

So a huge thank-you to Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, chibiduo and adbhut for reviewing. You may have noticed that this story finally has some cover art! That is the fabulous work of Tyka's Flower, who was inspired to draw it after reading chapter 3 of this story. Thank-you so very much, you have no idea how much it means to me!

No warnings for this chapter, sorry it's so short... 

* * *

~3 days later~

"And then I knocked Boris' lights out! One punch and he was down for the count!" boasted Tyson between mouthfuls of food. His friends looked at him incredulously.

"No way!" said Hilary. "Kai probably did that while you were passed out!"

"Grrrr...I actually did do it! Though Kai did this totally awesome right hook that made Gideon kiss the ground!"

Several pairs of eyes looked at the Russian, curious to know if Tyson was blowing smoke out of his ass again. "He's telling the truth." If anything, the bluenette was actually _down playing it_. He hadn't mentioned that Kai had been unconscious for days and left out the fact that Boris had tortured him. He focused everything on their escape. Not that he had any scars to show off anyways; Kai had taken care of that.

Concerned for their friends and wanting to be supportive, all of the teams from the Third World Championship, the former BEGA team and Mr. Dickenson had shown up at the dojo. The only person who was missing was Daichi, and no one had heard from him since BEGA.

Although Tyson was having fun being at the centre of attention, he had left his and Kai's newly discovered powers completely out of the story as well. At this point, the only person who knew about them was Kenny. In result, there were gaping holes in Tyson's story on how exactly they escaped the criminal masterminds.

Upon their escape they discovered that the Blitzkrieg Boyz were alive and well. Boris had rigged the building to explode, and when it did, Spencer had carried both an unconscious Tala and Bryan over his brood shoulders and out of the rubble. All three had spent a night in hospital, but were released the following afternoon with a clean bill of health.

Hiwatari Enterprises was now solely back under Kai's control. On Monday he was going to give all of Kusenov's supporters their walking papers and start from the ground-up...again. Luckily, the company still had its prestigious reputation.

For the moment though, Kai was leaning against one of the pillars outside the dojo, soaking in the sun. He was going to enjoy the peace. What made it difficult though, was all the glances Tala was sending his way and every time he caught his eyes, the red-head gestured to the BBA Director.

As much as Kai hated to admit it, Tala had a point. This was the perfect time, and if nothing else, it would take the last few weeks off of Tyson's mind. He finally nodded to the Wolf Master and watched him whisper into Mr. Dickenson's ear, before doing the same thing to Kenny, who was now in a wheelchair, they grabbed Emily and the 5 of them met in the dojo.

30 minutes later they all emerged from the dwelling and Mr. Dickenson cleared his throat, silencing the crowd. "Since we're all here, many of you have been asking when the next world tournament will be. After the damage to the stadiums at the last World Tournament and the Justice 5 Tournament, all countries have been reluctant to host any battles." There were a few glares directed at Brooklyn and Tyson, who just rubbed their heads sheepishly. "Well thanks to Kai and the BBA Research Facility, we have rectified that problem."

There were murmurs of excitement from the crowd.

"Kai has asked for a specialized stadium to be built to withstand high-powered attacks with larger beydishes. The BBA Research team has created a special energy absorbing glass to fulfil this request. Kai has also requested that the format for the tournament be single-player with a 3-strike system. Lose 3 battles and you're out of the rankings. However, I will be providing opportunities to earn back a strike by winning special exhibition matches. Some including tag-teams and battle royales!"

Tyson suddenly felt every eye in the room on him, he sweat dropped at all the competitive glares.

"Does everyone agree to these rulings?" There were several loud cheers. Mr. Dickenson then turned to see a very serious-looking World Champion as he walked up to him. "Tyson?" The teen gave him a huge smile.

"Can I say a few words?"

"Of course, be my guest, young man."

Tyson took centre-stage and everyone was silent. "I just wanted to say that I think this format is awesome. I would be honoured to battle each and every one of you in a fair match. All of you are so talented with such unique blading styles; but I want you all to remember the most important thing – that we are all friends and nothing can change that. Despite all of us competing, it doesn't mean we can't train together and cheer each other on! Above all else...have fun!"

Everyone broke into applause at the speech. Max muttered to Ray. "Not everyone could take the responsibility of being World Champion as seriously as Tyson does."

Ray scoffed. "I could do better." They shared a grin.

Kai looked at his rival and swelled with pride. Tyson had definitely matured over the years and had almost made it his personal mission to keep blading fun. That chubby- cheeked little brat who thought that he could get by on talent alone, had turned into one of the most serious and professional bladers... When did that happen?

The group was soon talking amongst themselves, and soon a few beybattles broke out between the hot-heads. Tyson caught Kai's eye and signalled for them to go inside the dojo. The dual-haired blader cocked an eyebrow, but followed the Japanese teen into his bedroom. The boy shut his door and locked it behind him. Kai's heart began to race as he tried to keep his hormones under control and didn't end up pinning his rival into the mattress and feverishly kissing him.

Tyson only leaned up against a wall and crossed his arms. He started chuckling. "Oh man, do I know you or do I know you? There just had to be some reason that you would show up out of the blue like that. 'Taking a break from work' my ass." His brown eyes flashed dangerously.

Shit. Tyson was pissed.

Tyson's voice suddenly became soft. "I only wish you had told me. Tala, Kenny, even Emily knew didn't they?"

Kai kept his mask up. "I don't need to explain anything to you Kinomiya."

"No, because I'm not important enough, right?" he shot back.

The little idiot couldn't be further from the truth! "Kinomiya, its nothing personal. I told you I would take every opportunity to battle you, didn't I? Well there weren't any opportunities, so I made one."

Tyson just stared at him, and Kai could practically hear the gears grinding and clicking into place. "Wait. You did all of this just so you and I could battle again?"

Now he get's it! The Phoenix Master smirked smugly. "Still think you're unimportant, Kinomiya?"

Tyson gulped. "You did all of this...for me?" His eyes brightened and the most beautiful smile graced his features. "Don't worry, I'll make sure we have the best match ever!" he paused and fear reflected in his eyes. "Will you be leaving?"

Kai shook his head no. "I'm really sick of Russia, and I still need to stay in Japan for work. Someone also needs to make sure you are taking your training seriously." he lifted an eyebrow when the baseball-capped teen started pinching himself.

"I have to be dreaming, because this is the best day ever!" Enthusiasm was soaked into every word.

"Heh. Let's see if you'll still be saying that when I get you up at 6am on a Saturday." Tyson laughed. Kai studied the boy. "How are you holding up after everything?" He had moved back home the night they returned. He had very much missed sleeping in his own bed. Scarlet eyes narrowed when the teen tensed up. "Don't even think about lying."

The Dragoon-wielder went to his bed and flopped back on it, his hands folded behind his head. "I just keep thinking about how he's still out there. Yes, I know he's in prison, but that didn't stop him last time, did it?"

"If he has the nerve to come back, we'll just take him down again."

"How do you do it?" Kai blinked in confusion. "How do you not let it get to you?"

Obsess over you. "I make myself as strong as I possibly can be. Always pushing myself and my blading ability beyond the limit. That way, if he ever comes back, I'll be ready."

Tyson nodded in understanding. "C'mon, let's go back to the party."

As soon as they returned, Kenny and Hilary (who was pushing the wheelchair) came up to them. "So we were thinking...Remember when we were all learning how to use the 'Hard Metal' system and we went up and trained in the mountains? Well a lot of these guys are saying that they would love to do that again."

A smile broke out on the bluenette's face. "Oh yeah! That would be awesome!"

Kai looked at Tyson. "You trained in the mountains?"

"Oh yeah, you weren't there for that. You're gonna love it Kai! Fresh air, super secluded, a whole bunch of different terrains for practice. We should totally all get together and train the next long-weekend!" he shouted the last part and there were cheers from the rest of the group.

"Whatever." Kai grunted. Truthfully he rather spend the weekend in the mountains with his secret love _alone_ , but...it would give him the opportunity to check out the competition. He watched his rival go back to the party, well more specifically back to the buffet table. Just has he was about to go take a nap in the grass, Tala came up to him.

"Hey."

"Hn."

"I'm surprised you let Boris off so easy." He glared. "If it were Bryan and I in that position, I'd skin the bastard alive."

He met the glare with an icy glare of his own. "If I tried anything, Tyson would've attempted to talk me out of it and I was much more concerned about his well-being at the time." he looked away. "You might be interested to know I did kick the creeps hard enough to ensure they would never reproduce and stuck their hands down each others pants." he watched Tala bite back a laugh, amusement clearly evident on his face, until he processed what he had said.

"Wait. Tyson's well-being? He looks just fine to me?" the older Russian glanced over at the boy in question, who was currently shielding his plate from Max's mustard. Kai suddenly turned on his heels but Tala grabbed his arm. "What happened?"

Kai sighed, wishing he hadn't stayed anything. "Let's just say there's more to the story than what Tyson is saying and what transpired there is between Tyson and I." he tried to wretch his arm away, but the red-head held firm.

"Look, I know what Boris is capable of and the fact that you both made it out alive and completely unharmed is frankly, unbelievable." Kai just ripped his arm away, leaving a confused Tala, but as violet irises fell upon the world champion, he realized there was more than one way to get his answers. 

* * *

Taking one last glance around for his moody boss, Tala struck when the baseball-capped teenager was on his fourth trip to the buffet table. "Hey Tyson."

The boy turned to him, looking a little surprised. "Um...hey Tala. What's up?"

"Just was hoping to hear about your amazing escape from Boris." he said carefully.

Mahogany eyes blinked. "Oh? You didn't hear how I totally made him kiss the dirt?"

"Well I was hoping to hear everything, not just the highlights." he grinned, trying to keep up the friendly disposition.

"Oh. Well there isn't that much to tell really. Kai and I were just locked in a cell after we refused to help with Boris' latest plan for world domination and the idiots left the door open one morning. Lucky break, right?" he laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

Tala had to give it to the kid; he was a damn good liar. That overwhelming confidence he exerted definitely worked in his favour. It was time to switch tactics. "Wow, three days in a cell with Kai, did you guys manage to have any heart-to-heart chats?"

"Nah, Kai was passed out for most of it." Brown eyes widened at the slip as the Russian's eyebrows arched. "Well, I can hear that chocolate pudding calling my name, I better get over there before it's gone!" Tyson then rushed past him.

Hmm. So Kai was passed out for 3 days? That was certainly interesting, especially since the longest he had ever seen the Phoenix Master sleep was 12 hours straight when he had come down with hypothermia. No, if he knew Kai, the man would've waited till the guards came in, then kicked-ass before high-tailing it out of there. But of course someone knew Kai as well – Boris. No doubt the madman figured out a way to keep Kai sedated with some kind of sleeping drug. But if Kai was incapacitated that left Tyson...he grit his teeth in anger...all alone.

Between their battle during the first championships, and what happened with BEGA...he had found himself feeling quite protective over the little group. Not only had they had opened his eyes to Boris' evil, they had taken care of him after his match with Garland. He had heard from Dickenson that they visited him often in hospital, and he was their first pick to be their blader in the Justice 5 tournament. If anything happened to any one of them...

He had to find Kai so he could figure out what else he was missing. He scanned the area, knowing that Kai would stay close so he could intervene if necessary. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when he saw the familiar black shoes of his friend, Kai really could be so predictable. He approached the enigma.

"Didn't I tell you to drop it Tala?"

Damn those ears of his. "Well considering you were asleep the entire time, its no wonder! And Tyson's protecting you? Jeez, that's pathetic."

Furious crimson eyes snapped open and Tala suddenly felt hot and could smell something putrid. When he realized that his hair was on fire, he quickly ran and doused himself in water, successfully putting out the flames. He stomped back to the tree Kai was lying under, ready for a beybattle, when he failed to see or hear the blue blade. He looked to Kai, shock clearly written on his face. "How did you-"

"Take that as a warning. Mind your own business and don't talk to _either_ Tyson or I about it again."

The red-haired Russian decided he didn't need to know anything else about their disappearance. 

* * *

**A/N-** So there is the chapter...kinda boring compared to the other chapters, I know. But let me know what you think! I'll have the next chapter up in a few days :)

P.S- Why the hell is Tyson so damn hard to write?! xD


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Do you ever see Kai and Tyson fight together? That's right, I still own nothing.

A huge thank-you to adbhut and Little A Granger for reviewing and to all of those still reading this story!

* * *

It was the weekend and the former bladebreakers plus Hilary were having fun sparing matches in the garden of the dojo. Ray and Max both had their blades in the dish as the others sat on the sidelines, cheering and giving out advice where they could.

"Ray! Concentrate, that turn was too wide!"

Unfortunately, for everyone Kai was back to being the drill-Sargent from hell.

"Yo Kai, give the man a break! It was 2mm off!" chided Tyson.

"In a free-for-all beyblade massacre, 2mm could be the difference between winning and losing!"

"And if he loses, we'll just cheer him up with pizza!"

"Um Tyson, that's what cheers _you_ up, not Ray." injected Hilary.

Ray and Max paid no attention to the other, too wrapped up in their battle. Drigger was attacking from every angle, trying to break through Draciel's impenetrable defence. It was then that Max saw his opening and attacked at full-power, catching the Chinese man off-guard and sent the white blade flying out of the dish.

Kai smirked in satisfaction – Ray had gone in too wide again, and Max took advantage of the situation. His look quickly became of one of concern however, when he saw the far-away look in the neko-jin's eyes. Deciding to be the voice of reason – in Tyson's world, that meant being a wet blanket – he walked up to the raven-haired blader. "Whatever you're dealing with, you need to get over it and get your head in the game."

Ray looked at him. "Y-yeah. Whatever you say Kai." he looked back to Max and Kai saw it. That hint of longing in those amber eyes, the same look he used to look at Mariah with. Oh fuck. He made a mental note to talk with the raven-haired teen in private.

"Hey, when did the chief make you guys new blades?" Asked Max, eyeing Tyson's new Dragoon. "It looks pretty sweet!"

Tyson beamed. "I know, right? Kenny made it a few weeks ago when Kai and I started training. It's super strong, it makes the MS look like a sissy in comparison."

The blonde blinked. "Wait, you mean to tell me that you have a blade that managed to survive a battle with Kai _without_ needing repairs?"

"Yeah, totally wicked right?"

The computer geek suddenly found his personal space being invaded by both Max and Ray, each holding up their blades, begging for the brunette to update them. "AH! Ok, ok! Calm down! I'll upgrade both of your blades!" he sighed, taking both tops as their owners thanked him.

"So," Ray looked at Tyson and Kai with a mischievous look in his eye. "how about you tow have a battle so we can check out the competition?"

Both boys exchanged glances before shaking their heads, simultaneously. "We can't, not here anyway."

The long-haired blader put his hands on his hips. "Not even to spar?"

Kai stepped up and readied his launcher. "Don't say we didn't warn you."

Tyson met his rival at the dish and they released their blades. As soon as the tops clashed, the shock wave knocked both Ray and Max of their feet and sent flying back into the wall.

Tyson immediately recalled his Dragoon and rushed to his fallen friends, who were just staring at their former teammates, baffled by the raw power they had unleashed. "You guys ok?"

"Y-yeah." stuttered Ray, finding his voice and dusting himself off. Smiling brightly he said, "Looks like I have my work cut out for me!"

"Yeah, me too! That was incredible guys! You gotta let us train with you!"

Unsure cinnamon eyes drifted to the eldest blade, heart soaring when he saw the flash of approval. "Yeah guys! Wait till you see this tight-rope trick Kai invented! It's super hard!"

"Just for the love of beyblades, don't go jogging with them!" warned Kenny. "They get all competitive."

Ray flexed his muscles and stepped forward. "Sound interesting! Lee has been having a hard time keeping up with me lately, I've been looking for a challenge!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you." muttered Kenny, returning his attention back to his laptop, as the quartette started out on a nice and easy jog.

* * *

~3 hours later~

Ray and Max collapsed as their friends went on ahead of them. Kenny hadn't been kidding! Tyson's and Kai's athletic ability seemed to have reached supernatural levels in their desire to conquer each other. Of course Kai had started it, with Tyson responding by copying the move, and Ray and Max had followed suit, but straight free-running across the city for hours? That had proven to be a little too much for the Drigger and Draciel holders.

"They're...nuts." heaved Max, his sweaty blonde bangs sticking to his face.

"No...kidding..."breathed Ray. He turned his head to the side and to his delight he had discovered that they were laying right outside the dojo. Forcing himself to his feet, he helped the American stand and they both stumbled into their second home. The chief heard the commotion and promptly brought water bottles.

"Those two still at it?" the brunette questioned as the other's relieved their parched throats.

"Yeah...are they always like this?" asked Max.

"More or less. They usually can go for about 4 1/2 hours before exhaustion finally catches up to them"

Both teen's eyes widened in astonishment, before Max laid back down and sighed. "Those two need to fess up their love already." Everyone chuckled.

"Tyson's so obvious...we really need to lock them in a room or something." suggested Ray.

"Yeah, bu that's what Boris did, and that didn't do any good." pointed out Kenny. "Though, they're getting closer."

Max opened an eye. "What do you mean, buddy?"

I mean when we were in Kai's safe house, I woke up and they were sortive snuggled together on the loveseat." he recalled, "And when they woke up Kai didn't get mad or push Tyson away and Tyson didn't tease him at all."

Blue and amber eyes widened, before the neko-jin grinned. "Well, maybe there is hope for them after all."

Two hours later the Dragon and Phoenix masters collapsed into the dojo, breathing heavily, their clothes clinging to their sweat-soaked bodies. Immediately the others gave them bottles of water, which the worn out rivals drank gratefully.

"Jeez guys, if you're not careful, one of these days you're going to pass out in the middle of the road." warned Ray.

"Yeah, in your condition, I doubt either of you can pull a ripcord."

"I can so!" protested Tyson as he reached for his blade, only to find it already in Kai's hands. "Hey! Give it back!"

"Even if you could launch your blade, there's no way you have enough energy to control Dragoon." the eldest said.

"Party Pooper." muttered the bluenette. His nose caught whiff of something that made his mouth water. "Mm-mm...what's cooking?"

Ray grinned. "Chicken stir-fry."

"Man, I'm sure glad you're back buddy! I've missed your cooking!"

"Well you're in for a treat, Mariah's been giving me some lessons."

Kai noticed the quick flash of jealousy in Max's eyes and he had to suppress a chuckle. It seemed like they had all fallen for each other; Well with the exception of Tyson. Beyblading was his one true love, though food was a very close second, as the 17-year old rushed into the kitchen.

After they all ate, Kenny gave Ray and Max their newly updated blades, which they were eager to try out. Max and Tyson stepped up to the beydish, and the countdown began. "Let it rip!" the players shouted, launching their blades into the dish. Dragoon circled Draciel as the as the green blade waited the opponent's first move, which Tyson did with a vengeance. Metal grinding against metal, sparks flew as Dragoon tried to push back the emerald blade, but Draciel stayed firmly in position.

"Heh, you've gotten stronger Max!" complemented Tyson, rubbing his nose.

"You ain't so shabby either." Draciel then slammed against the white blade, catching Dragoon off-guard and pushing it back up the rim of the dish. "And yet you underestimate me." he grinned.

"Won't happen again." Dragoon charged at the enemy, striking at such an angle, that it sent both blades back into their owner's hands. "But we can save the real battle for the tournament." he smirked.

Kai found himself marvelling at Tyson's maturity. Only a few short years ago, Tyson would have pulled out all the stops to win even a practice match. He was holding his cards close to his chest, a smart move considering the circumstances.

"You're up guys!" Max said, calling out to them.

As Kai strode up to the dish and readied his launcher, he decided to follow Tyson's example and give Ray a mere taste of his power.

"3..2..1! Let it rip!" shouted Max and the blades were launched into the arena. Ray started out, guns ablazing, as Drigger unleashed a full assault on Dranzer. Concentrating, Dranzer and Kai weathered the attacks, dodging the ones that the could see. Drigger was nothing but a silver blur! When one blurr turned into 8 and Kai found himself being assaulted on all sides, he had enough.

"Hmph. So the kitty has claws, but lacks any real power." Ray's eyes went wide as the legendary blade threw off his scarf and wings of flame spread from his back. "Blazing Gig Tempest!" Flaming feathers rained from the heavens and eliminated the illusions and caged Drigger.

"The same move won't work on me twice! Thunder Claw!" at once the feathers were slashed and lightening emitted from the blade, light blinded everyone and once the dust had settled, a large crater was revealed, with Dranzer still spinning on the very narrow rim of the dish.

Kai was in awe of his former teammate's new move and the control he had over it – but still he was superior. Not yet wanting reveal his finishing move, he remembered the wires he and Tyson had practised on, concentrating his power, he willed Dranzer to deftly do a black flip over Drigger, catching the white blade on the side and lifting it into the air with such force, it was sent flying out of the dish. The teenagers were left stunned at the perfectly executed move.

Ray retrieved his blade and extended his hand. "That was some fancy footwork Kai. Great battle."

Kai smirked and took the hand. "Your attacks need more power to them, speed alone isn't enough."

"I guess I have a lot more practice ahead of me." he grinned. While he may have revealed his hand, he had gained something far more valuable – just how he stacked up against his former captain.

* * *

That night they went back to their old sleeping arrangements: Max Tyson and Kenny on one side of the room and Ray and Kai on the other. They had originally started sleeping this way because Kai insisted that he couldn't sleep through Tyson's snoring and wanted to be as far away from him as possible. A decision he sorely regretted now as he stared up at the ceiling, a bitter jealousy blossoming in his heart as he watched Max and Tyson curled up together.

Screw it. He needed to calm the raging storm that was bubbling up inside him. His stocking feet padded soundlessly as he snuck out of the room and into the garden as his ruby eyes looked up at the full moon.

Maybe it had been a mistake returning. If he had just kept his distance, Tyson wouldn't have been hurt. If only he was as cold as he pretended to be, it would make all of this easier.

"Couldn't sleep?"

He stiffened in surprise and his heart gave a flutter. "Hn."

"As talkative as ever, I see." something in the younger's voice made him turn around and his eyes widened. Sienna eyes were blood-shot and his midnight hair was dampened with sweat. The confidence Tyson usually radiated was missing.

It took all of the Russian's willpower not to act as he felt, wanting to embrace his friend and say sweet nothings until the defiant spark came back into those beautiful eyes. Instead he looked away. "When did they start?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." The teen said defensively, looking down at the ground.

"You can fool the other's, but not me Kinomiya." Silence engulfed the pair before Tyson finally sighed.  
"The night after we came back." He mumbled, waiting for one of Kai's 'Shut-up and get over speeches'. He looked up when his friend touched his shoulder gently.

"Listen Tyson. He won't hurt you again. Even if he did get out, he'd still have to go through me. Just focus on your game and forget about him. He's not worth the grief." Tyson nodded and shivered slightly. "C'mon you're cold, we'll go watch movies or something."

Immediately Tyson beamed. "Sweet! I'll start making popcorn!" he rushed into the dojo. Kai could only shake his head in amusement. Nothing could ever come between Tyson and his food.

* * *

The following morning came and when Ray, Max and Kenny saw the empty beds of their strongest members, they raced into the garden, expecting to see the duo training together, but only saw Gramps doing his morning practices. "Um...have you seen Kai or Tyson?" asked Ray.

"Hmm? Oh, those two dawgs were up all night watching movies, I doubt they'll want to train today lil' dudes."

Max scratched his head. "Ok, Tyson up all night watching movies makes sense, but Kai?" Suddenly the old man was in their faces with a finger over his lips. They followed him into the living room and tried to desperately not "Awe" at the sight. Kai and Tyson were completely passed out, their heads resting on each other and Kai's arm wrapped around Tyson's waist.

They all smiled knowingly. The former bladebreakers were going to take full advantage of their day off, and Grandpa decided to pay his friend, Mr. Dickenson a visit.

However, much to everyone's dismay, when they returned, Kai and Tyson were in an intense training session. The four men looked at each other and sighed. Couldn't these two just admit their feelings already?

* * *

So there we have it, Chapter 12. Please send me a review letting me know what you think of this very boring chapter. I promise the action will come in a few chapters guys!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even the laptop I'm typing this on!

Hey guys, sorry this is a little late, life has been crazier than usual. I'd like to thank Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, chibiduo, adbhut and miniJkitty for all the amazing reviews. I love you all so much!

Got a little treat for you, this chapter is a little longer than the last and plenty of Tyka adorableness. If this seems a little different than the rest of this story and doesn't quite fit, I'm sorry I get really bored at work and this was a product of pure boredom. Editing this has been an absolute bitch. Now without further ado, I give you chapter 13!

* * *

The weeks just flew by and Grandpa Kinomiya had never seen his T-man so happy. Weekends were full of life in the dojo as the former Bladebreakers trained under Kai's careful supervision, the stoic teen sliding right back into his captain position. He made sure to keep the fridge and cabinets well-stocked for the hungry boys. During the week though, things were much quieter. Max stayed with his dad, Ray spent his afternoons at the BBA, training the next generation of bladers and Tyson was at school.

One day his grandson had asked if he could start spending Thursday and Friday nights at Kai's place, as the kittens were now old enough to be played with constantly and Tyson had to ensure that 'Kai didn't drown himself in paperwork' - an idea that Kai surprisingly had no objection to. So he had sat down with both young men to establish the ground rules: Firstly Tyson had to go to school. Secondly Tyson couldn't slack in his studies and lastly he had to check in every night.

Well, after that, a miracle happened; Tyson started spending a lot of time on schoolwork. Going as far as getting it done all in advance, so he didn't have to worry about it come Thursday.

Hilary was so shocked by this new development that she struck a deal with Tyson, if he could keep his marks higher than a 'B' average, she would exempt him from classroom cleaning duty.

At one point, one of the teachers had accused Tyson of cheating, and when Hilary's and his own words weren't enough to convince him otherwise, Kai had strolled into the classroom like he owned the place, slammed his high school transcripts on the teacher's desk and claimed that he was Tyson's tutor. After one look at the CEO's marks, the teacher had apologized profusely and gave Tyson a free-pass from homework for the week.

Kai and Tyson's relationship still remained for the most part, largely unchanged. They still argued, Tyson still teased the other relentlessly, Kai still held his devil-may-care attitude and still was uncommunicative. But in those precious, rare moments when Kai thought no one was looking, he was do small, almost unnoticeable gestures for Tyson and sometimes one could catch the pair curled up together some mornings on the couch.

It seemed like Kai was doing this relationship all on his own time and Grandpa Kinomiya could respect that. Now his attention was becoming more and more focused on Max and Ray who had a slightly larger issue to get past; the fact that Ray was torn between Max and Mariah.

The old man just hoped than the Chinese teen would figure out his feelings before either one decided to move on. He couldn't help but wonder if things would be sorted out with this upcoming tournament.

But for now, the training trip to the mountains was coming up fast and everything was being prepared for the bladers that they were expecting to arrive from around the world. The sheer popularity of the idea of a beyblade training camp was overwhelming. Conversation and arrangements were made (mostly Mr. Dickenson promising to take care of Hiwatari Enterprises while both Tala and Kai were away training) and now the trip was now a full week in the wilderness, with all travel accommodations covered for whomever signed up. Little did anyone know that he, Judy and Taro Tate and Romero were all in charge and had a few surprises in store...

* * *

Today was the day and Tyson was stoked! He had no idea how his grandfather and Mr. Dickenson had figure out to get the school to give him a week off school AND convince Kai to take a week off work, but he was not complaining. He had been too excited to sleep the night before; a whole week with all his friends, training and laughing together with the sport they all loved? It was like a dream come true! As he put on his lucky cap, he felt like he was ready for anything!

But as he climbed aboard the BBA bus with all his old teammates, nothing in the world could've prepared him for what he saw...

"SURPRISE!"

Tears pricked his eyes as he saw all his friends siting on the bus waiting for them. The White Tigers, F-Dynasty, the former BEGA team, team Psychic...just everyone. They had all made it!

"Hey, little brother."

A shiver ran up Tyson's spine as he spun around, his older brother standing behind him. The same one who kept disappearing and reappearing into his life.

His fist collided with Hiro's jaw and throbbed painfully as his brother and everyone else started at him with shock. "That's for ditching me for BEGA then disappearing for years. And this-" he grabbed Hiro's arm and pulled him into a tight hug, "-is for being here now."

Some of the girls awed at the sweet scene and the former bladebreakers, plus Hiro made their way to the back of the bus and immersed themselves in conversation. Well, with the exception of Kai, he sat down in the empty seat beside Tala and transfixed his glare on Brooklyn, who was sitting lazily next to Garland. He smirked slightly in satisfaction when the ginger hair caught fire and Tala shivered next to him.

In the chaos of people trying to put out the flames, Tala leaned in and whispered "Okay, you've made your point."

Suddenly a blast of icy, cold air hit his face and crimson eyes met Tyson's, disapproval clearly written on his face. Kai kept his smug expression, leading the Dragon Master to keep a close eye on the enigma for the rest of the trip.

When they finally arrived at the facility, Judy and Taro Tate stood there and waited for everyone to get off the bus and unload their luggage. Once they had their attention, the blonde woman stepped forward. "Hello everyone, so as you know this is a training camp and Mr. Dickenson has several activities planned to make this a friendly competition." Several heads perked up in interest. "Mr. Dickenson has organized a scavenger hunt and the first team who makes it back with all the items gets an extra strike for the World Championship." Immediately there was a buzz of excitement from the crowd over the valuable reward, an extra strike meant 4 losses were allowed instead of 3. "Teams have been per-selected in 2-man groups, any and all whining will result in immediate disqualification." She looked up to see the silent bladers, discontentment clearly written on their faces. "Pairs are as follows:

Tala and Daichi  
Lee and Micheal  
Mariah and Selima  
Julia and Ming Ming  
Ian and Johnny  
Claude and Bryan  
Crusher and Matilda  
Raul and Rick  
Kai and Tyson  
Jim and Spencer  
Emily and Gary  
Steven and Gokie  
Ray and Max  
Mystel and Enrique  
Garland and Miguel  
Kane and Brooklyn  
Aaron and Oliver  
Robert and Kevin  
Kenny and Eddy

Please introduce yourself to your partners if you don't know them very well, grab one of the supply bags here and a scavenger sheet. Happy Hunting!"

Hearing Tala mutter something about being stuck with "Monkey-Boy", Kai held back a snicker. He on the other hand, couldn't be happier with his partner. He had wanted to spend the weekend alone with the bluenette and apparently someone had granted his wish. Hearing some of the weird pairings though, he wondered if Gramps had anything to do with it. He grabbed their bag as Tyson grabbed a sheet from Judy, then over-excited teenager suddenly grabbed his arm and he found himself being dragged to the woods. Damn, Tyson was stronger than he looked! "Wait!" he shouted "Let's at least take read over the sheet in case we're missing something!"

The boy stopped and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry Kai, I got a little carried away." he looked at the sheet and a blank look came across his face. "What?! It's just a bunch of riddles! How are we supposed to make sense of this!" he pulled at his hair angrily.

Kai just snatched the sheet from Tyson's hand and read the entire thing carefully. Sure enough, it was all riddles. He started with the first one: What kind of bell doesn't ring, but it's smell makes the angels sing? "First thing we're looking for is a bluebell flower."

Tyson just stared at him, before giving one of his signature smiles. "Alright! Way to go Kai! At this rate, we'll be done before anyone else! C'mon, I think I know where some are from the last time I was here!" as Tyson ran up ahead, Kai couldn't help but appreciate the view as he stared at the teen's jean-clad ass.

* * *

"See? Look I told you we'd find it!" Kai was impressed as he looked at the field of flowers and saw bluebells, the only issue was it had taken most of the afternoon to get here. They were deep into the woods, and had it not for Tyson's navigation skills, they would most certainly be lost. A note stuck to a tree caught his eye. "Congratulations! Grab a sticker and post it on your sheet!". Well at least they knew they were in the right direction. Tyson eagerly stuck the sticker on the sheet and took a huge breath. "I love it out here."

Kai also inhaled deeply, the scent of the flowers was indeed refreshing, but he caught whiff of something else as well. Others were coming. "Let's go." Thankfully, instead of arguing, the bluenette followed, looking down at the paper as they walked.

"Hehehe, this next riddle kinda sounds like you, Kai. 'What always runs, but never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?"

Deciding to play along, he shot back, "What sleeps like the dead, always talks, stuffs his face but has no grace?"

Tyson grinned. "Touché. So where are we going?"

"The river."

"Oh, then we should go this way – found out the hard way there's a cliff over there." said Tyson, pointing to his left. Kai nodded before grabbing a branch and started sweeping it back and forth across the ground. Lifting an eyebrow, Tyson asked. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Wiping away our tracks. Mystel and the nekojins are probably jumping through the trees and anyone can just follow us without doing any of the hard work." The younger nodded in understanding and suddenly ran off in the direction of the cliff. "Kinomiya!"

"Don't worry Kai, I'm making a false trail! Keep going straight and Dragoon and I will find you!"

The Russian blinked. That was actually a smart strategy. Keeping on the path, he soon arrived at the riverbank, he saw a note attached to a tree and took out a blue star and put it on the sheet. He looked at the falling sun, hopefully Tyson would show up soon. They would need to set-up camp for the night. No sooner than he thought it, something jumped out of the water, startling him and spraying him with water.

"Hi Kai, did you miss me?"

Kai stared and found himself trying not to drool at the soaking-wet, nearly naked teen before him. Oh god, in the setting sun, the light hit the toned tanned body in just the right way that made it all look like a dream. Tyson was breathtakingly beautiful. The Phoenix Master cursed his growing erection and cursed himself for not wearing tight jeans – if he didn't regain control of his body soon, there would be a tent for all the world to see. "What did you do with your clothes?"

Dead kittens. Dead kittens. Dead kittens.

"Threw them into this bag." he got out of the water and tossed a large, sealed Ziploc bag with clothes inside on the ground, before he put his hands behind his head and grinned. "I came prepared."

Kai was thoroughly grateful for all his training at the abbey that helped keep the blush off his painted cheeks. "C'mon we need to set-up camp."

"Ok. How about you grab some firewood and I'll fish?"

Kai blinked. It was official, if he was left to his own devices, he _might_ eat once a week. "Fine. Meet back here before sundown." he turned away, quite happy for some time to get his emotions in check.

"Aye Aye Captain Kai!" he heard from behind him.

* * *

An hour later, both men were fed and curled up in their tent that they had built together. Then sun had gone down and the temperature had dropped with it, and even under the blankets, they were fucking freezing! Kai really shouldn't be this effected after living in Russia for so long, his body had adjusted to Japan's much warmer climate, and he found himself despising the cold. Fortunately for him, Tyson made the first move, by timidly moving closer to him so their backs were touching - the glorious that travelled up his backside was heavenly! He rolled over to get more of it and Tyson turned over and looked at him with slight concern. "We'll both be warmer if we shared body heat." he explained.

Tyson gave him a soft smile. "As long as you don't mind." They locked eyes and both of their hearts quickened, the cold forgotten as for a single instant they forgot where they were. Leaning forward, being drawn to each other by some invisible force, eyes slid shut as they felt each other's hot breath upon their lips.

A piercing scream broke them out of their trance and in a flash they were up and out of their tent and looking for the source of the scream.

"Help!"

The boys looked over to the river where Ming Ming was being swept by the current and Julia was running along side the riverbank, trying to catch up with her partner. Looking ahead they saw a branch hanging over the river. Sharing a glance they withdrew their blades and took aim. It was suddenly like that battle all over again, where they were hyper-sensitive to each other's every move. Some sort of psychic-connection had formed. They inhaled and launched their blades in perfect synchronization.

With a deafening crack the branch hit the water with a loud splash and stayed in between two rocks, just in time for the pop star to grab on and her partner helped her out of the water and safely pulled her to dry land. The women laid on the ground, breathing heavily as the men rushed over.

"Are you guys ok?" asked Tyson.

"Yeah, thanks to you guys!" smiled Ming Ming brightly. "I totally have to write a song about my brave rescuers!"

Everyone sweat dropped. Kai narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"

"I was just getting some firewood when I tripped and fell into the river. Thank goodness you heard me!" she smiled sweetly.

Scarlet eyes eyed her suspiciously, his instincts telling him not to trust her. He started walking back to their camp, Tyson following a few seconds later after telling the girls to be more careful. "Jeez Kai, I know you're not big on conversations, but that was a little rud-"

"They were lying."

Tyson blinked, before getting slightly ticked off at the accusation. "What? Are you suddenly a human lie detector now? Pfft. Next thing you'll say is that someone is out to sabotage us."

But as they came around the corner to where their campsite should be, they found nothing but the blackened wood that was from their campfire. Their tent, their supplies completely gone, leaving them with only the clothes on their backs and their blades. "Fine, how's this then? Your friends are assholes."

The wind chilled his tired body as he looked at the place where their tent had once proudly stood, the World Champion found himself agreeing with his teammate. Rage coursing through his blades, he bellowed into the night sky. "Ok, you asked for it, THIS MEANS WAR!"

The chirping of crickets was Tyson's only response.

"Once you're done yelling at the air, you can follow me while I do something actually productive."

Folding his arms Tyson looked at his rival. "Hmph, like what?"

"Looking for shelter." the elder said, walking into the forest, his scarf tails dancing in the wind.

Thanking the stars that it was Kai on his team and not someone like Kenny the 17-year old quickly caught up with his friend, knowing that the Russian's survival skills was the only way that they would win this little game.

Eventually the pair came to a large hallowed out oak tree, finding a sanctuary in the base, they laid their jackets on the dirt and moss covered ground. The dual-haired teen then untied his scarf from the weights before draping the long, silky fabric over their chilled bodies, earning him a grateful smile from the younger boy as he shifted closer to his warm body. The enigma wrapped his strong arms around the Japanese teen's body and breathed in that summer storm scent that relaxed his entire being and brought a small smile to his lips. Just as the lulls of sleep was about to take him away, Tyson asked. "Do you think we'll ever get back there?"

Ruby eyes opened and studied his rival, knowing exactly what he meant. "We will, as long as we get the chance to have a proper battle." He had to believe that.

"I hope you're right. Did you feel it too at the river, that weird connection?" The paler teen nodded. "I love that feeling. When we're like that, it feels like we are completely invincible, y'know?"

"I know, I do too." his eyes began to droop. "Now shut-up and go to sleep Kinomiya."

"Fine." Tyson sighed, slightly disappointed at not being able to talk to his usually silent friend for a bit longer. "Night Kai, don't let the bedbugs bite me." he joked.

"...There's been a spider on your shoulder for the last 5 minutes." the stoic blader had to bit his lip to keep from laughing as Tyson jumped 3ft into the air, screaming like a little girl, brushing his shoulder's frantically hoping to get rid of the arachnid. He almost felt sorry for the 8-legged beast as it was hurled onto the ground and scurried away.

"DUDE! Were you going to let me fall asleep with that thing on me?!"

"You might want to shout louder, I don't think the people in Russia could hear you properly."

"It was an actual fucking spider!"

"Get over it! It was a harmless wolf-spider."

"It was a fucking spider, Kai!"

"Hn, who knew you could be such a girl?"

Enraged, the teen took a swing at him, which the Russian caught easily, forcing the Dragon Master to attack with his other hand, Kai swiftly moved his head and caught the arm and shifted them so that Tyson was pinned underneath him. He smirked and whispered huskily into the boy's ear. "Did you forget who I am?"

Tyson froze, wide-eyed a huge blush travelled across his cheeks. Kai chuckled in satisfaction, loving the way he could make the innocent boy react like this. He then slowly laid beside the boy and carefully wrapped an arm around Tyson's torso. "Goodnight Kinomiya."

"N-night."

Kai smiled to himself. Maybe there was hope for him after all.

* * *

So, funny story. I was reading this chapter out-loud to my brother to get his opinion, and when I read "...There's been a spider on your shoulder for the last 5 minutes." He thought I was talking to him and he got up and started screaming and reacted EXACTLY like Tyson. Well...while he was freaking out, his towel dropped and I got an eye-full...I am now scarred for life.

I also found out he and Tyson share a birthday...November 23rd.

My birthday is actually July 29th which is close to Kai's August 2nd birthday. So that was kinda cool to find out.

So I hope you had as much fun reading this chapter as I did writing it. Please send me a review! I love the feedback and making new friends!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own so don't sue me. No spiders were harmed in the making of this fanfic.

Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, adbhut, miniJkitty and Angel Devastation for all the kind reviews. It's been a hell of a week for me, so sorry for the late update.

No warnings for this chapter, so you guys can continue enjoying the fluff :)

* * *

When morning came, the duo had 2 missions: To get their stuff back and finish the damn scavenger hunt. Right now the pair would do anything if it meant they didn't spent another night on the cold, hard ground; Their backs were stiff and they had woken up with various bug bites all over their bodies. Once they had gotten up and done their morning piss, Kai pulled out the scavenger sheet he had kept safe in his breast pocket.

"Find the next sticker near deep water. Man walks over, man walks under, in times of war he burns asunder...Where's the bridge Kinomiya?"

"Damn, you're good at those. The bridge should be over there." he pointed to the right and they began walking. However, when they arrived at their destination, they had discovered that it had been cut down. Tyson fumed. "This is just playing fucking dirty! Now what?"

Kai squinted and on the other side, he saw the note they were searching for attached to a tree. He looked around and frowned when he couldn't find a tree tall enough to get them across. A thought occurred to him and he looked at his companion. "Kinomiya, you think you could use the wind to tear the paper off and carry it over here?"

"We're about to find out." Tyson said with a determined expression on his face. He stepped forward and closed his eyes in concentration. He then opened them and smiled. "No, I'm going to do something else." The mischievous glint in his eye was the only warning Kai got before Tyson grabbed his arm and started running towards the cliff.

"TYSON ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

"Just trust me Kai!" the Russian tightened his grip as they jumped off the ledge, shutting his eyes waiting for impact. When it never came, he slowly reopened them.

They were flying! Actually flying! He looked at the Wind Master in shock. "I told you to trust me." said the child, with a cocky grin. With a grace Kai didn't know the boy possessed, he landed them on the other side of the gorge. Tyson calmly walked up to the tree and pulled out a pink sticker and walked over to the still-in-shock Hiwatari. "Kai, paper please." Kai shook himself out of his stupor and handed him the sheet and Tyson placed a sticker next to the number 3. "I have no sword, I have no spear, yet rule a horde many fear. My soldiers will fight with a wicked sting, I rule with might but am no King." Tyson read, scratching his head. "A queen?"

Kai smiled. "Not just any queen- A Queen Bee."

"So Ming Ming or Julia?" snicker Tyson.

The older's lips curled in amusement. "Please, they couldn't control an army if they tried. Actual bees though, I know they could frighten the toughest of men. Happen to know where any beehives are?"

Tyson sighed. "First spiders, now bees...nature sucks."

"So this would be a bad time to tell you there is a spider in your hair?"

"No Kai, this would be the best time- SPIDER IN MY HAIR?!" the boy shook and ran his fingers through his hair viciously, trying to get the unwanted guest out. When Kai saw the critter retreat deeper into the mass of blue, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Don't move." The sharpness in his voice made Tyson freeze on one foot. He walked over. "You scared it into hiding."

" _I_ scared it?"

"Zip it or I'll leave it there." The teen instantly quieted.

A weird sensation came over Tyson as Kai looked at his hair intensely, calloused fingers carefully lifting sections of hair. It felt so soothing to him, and despite there being one of God's most unholy and horrifying creatures on his scalp, he felt himself relaxing into the man's touch. All too soon, the hands were pulled away. Kai revealed not one, but two spiders; they sat in his hand as Tyson peered at them with disgust.

"You have no idea how lucky you are." gasped Kai, pointing to the larger brown spider which appeared to have large yellow prickles protruding from its abdomen. "This one is a wolf spider, and if you look closely, those aren't spots. Those are baby spiders. If you had crushed her, the babies would've jumped off her back and crawled into your hair."

Tyson looked at the spider, then back at Kai as all colour drained from his face. "H-How many spiders is that?"

"A hundred."

Brown eyes rolled back into Tyson's head as he fainted.

Kai sighed. Tyson was too emotional. He gently placed the spiders on the ground and picked up the unconscious boy and threw him over his shoulder. He kept his eyes peeled for bees as he trudged through the woods. As the burden on his shoulder slowly became heavy and heavier as the hour ticked by, the Russian decided he would just discreetly removed any other unwanted guests, so the other wouldn't flip out again, even if it did give him the excuse to be close to Tyson.

"Kai! Hey Kai!"

Said person spun around in the direction of the familiar voice and saw Max and Ray. "Hn."

"Hey Kai, we think we-" Max paused and pointed to Tyson. "Woah, what happened?"

"Sleeping Beauty saw a spider." he said rolling his eyes. "Continue."

"Really? Best not to tell him I have a pet tarantula at my mom's then." Both of the other teens looked at him like he sprouted a second head.

" _You?!_ "

"Yeah, her name is Nancy. Real sweetheart. But anyways, did you guys get anything jacked by any chance?"

Kai blinked. "Yeah. Why?"

"Thought so, only Tyson would have beyblade underwear." The trio chuckled at their friend's questionable fashion tastes. "We ran into Ian and Johnny and noticed they had a bunch of tents and equipment. We took a closer look, and when we saw some clothes that looked like Tyson's, we waited for them to leave and took back the stuff we thought was yours, hoping we'd run into you eventually."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "How generous of you."

"Consider it a 'Thank-you' for letting Max and I do some serious training with you. That, and we don't like cheaters, oh suspicious one." said Ray with a cheeky grin.

"Hn, can you blame me?"

"No, but we're like family. No one messes with family." said Max brightly as he took off the heavy bag he was carrying and handed it to Kai. "Here you go bud!"

Taking the offered bag, he put it on his other shoulder, grateful that the weight was balancing him out a bit. "Thanks. Have you seen any beehives anywhere?"

"No, we're looking for one ourselves." said the Chinese man. "If you want you're more than welcome to join us, an extra pair of eyes would be awesome."

Kai weighed his options. While he could go off by himself, they did have a point about a third set of eyes, and with the extra weight slowing him down they would cover a lot more ground before nightfall. Plus there was that other 'issue'. "Fine."

"Here, want me to take the bag for you?" offered Max.

"Need any help repositioning Tyson?" asked Ray.

Kai sighed, he forgot that Tyson wasn't the only mother hen in the group. He relinquished the bag and Ray helped him reposition Tyson so he was carrying him piggyback style. His right shoulder immediately felt better.

The trio hiked up the mountain, looking along the treeline looking for some sign of the yellow and black insects. About an hour later, a low groan caught their attention. "Wha? What happened?" came Tyson's groggy voice.

Kai put the teenager on the ground and Tyson gathered his barrings. "Ray? Max? What are you doing here?"

"Hey, how's 'Sleeping Beauty'?" joked Max.

"Feeling like I got hit with a truck." the bluenette moaned. "What happened?"

"You fainted, we met up with Kai and we're looking for a beehive together."

Tyson's memory came back to him. "AH! The spiders! Are they gone?!" he started yanking his hair in panic.

"Awe, did the teeny-weeny spiders scare the big, bad World Champion?" mocked Max.

"Hey, even you would be freaked out if one wrong move could crush one, unleashing hundreds of the satanic, little beasts all over you!"

Ray and Max shuddered. "Yeah that would be unpleasant." agreed the nekojin.

"Hey! Are we gonna stand here all day? Move it!" they all turned towards to the Phoenix Master, who was already at the top of the hill waiting for them, his scarf flowing majestically in the soft breeze.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get your ripcord in a twist Sourpuss, we're coming!" called Tyson.

Max and Ray smiled as the feeling of nostalgia swept through them. It really did feel like they were a team again. The four them had a bond that could never be broken. Not after everything they had been through together.

Further up the trail, they saw about five different teams battling. Metal against metal, sparks flew as bitbeasts battled in the air. Kai saw the hive in a tall tree on their left, and it all made sense. He pulled the group into the bushes. "They're fighting for the hive."

Ray was the first to clue in. "So you think we should just take the envelope and run."

"I like it." nodded Max

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" grinned Tyson, as he put a hand on the Chinese man's shoulder. "Good luck Ray! We'll meet you on the other side!"

"W-wait. Why me?"

Tyson blinked. "You're the best jumper/tree-climber." Kai and Max murmured in agreement.

The Drigger-holder sighed in defeat. "Alright. Let's do this."

After making sure the ever-growing mob of bladers were distracted, the former bladebreakers snucked across the path and Ray started climbing what had to be a 100ft tree. Doing a mix of climbing and jumping from branch to branch, the nekojin slowly made his way up the old oak tree. Stopping only to wipe the sweat off his brow, he soon came to the branch with the hive on it. Now came the tricky part - removing the note off the hive. Keeping himself calm, he reached out. A noise from below made him pause and he looked down, much to his annoyance, Mystel staring climbing up the tree at a super-fast pace, obviously having the same idea. He had to do this fast. Steeling his nerves, he calmly reached out to the swaying beehive and slowly removed the envelope and smirked in triumph. He grabbed 2 purple stars and started making his way back down. About mid-way he met up with Mystel, and gave him the envelope with a wink, the boy was surprised, but only nodded in thanks. They climbed down together and Ray rejoined his friends.

They watched in amusement as Mystel got the attention of the battling teams, waving the letter in his hand. The mob quickly turned into a stampede as they chased the spikey, blonde-haired teen through the forest.

"He's so leading them into a trap." chuckled Max.

"Good, six less teams to worry about." said Kai. "This is where we part ways, Kon."

Max and Tyson looked at each other crestfallen.

"Yeah...good lucky buddy." said Max sadly.

The friends shook hands and much to Tyson's surprise, the American handed him their stuff. When he put two-and-two together, he gave the blonde a huge hug. "You're the best."

"It was your weird underwear Ty! I couldn't let their cuteness blind anyone else!" he laughed.

"Yeah well, I'll be rescuing all dishes from your mustard assault!"

"You have no idea what you're missing out on, bud!"

"My nose begs to differ. Good luck Maxie! See ya Ray!" he called out as they parted ways. "So what does the next riddle say?"

Kai pulled out the sticker Ray had given him and put it next to the number 4, before reading the fifth riddle. "A horde of gold. So many treasures hold. No guards, no wards. Prised by bards. But no merchant will except it. Cause as payment it doesn't fit. But still Chauntea refills it every year. Now what it is should be clear!" he blinked then scowled. "Yeah, clear as mud."

Tyson looked at him in alarm. "What do you mean, you don't know?!"

"Not yet. I need to think." He looked up and to his dismay he saw orange skies. "Come on, we need to set up camp."

Tyson looked at the setting sun. "Yeah." his stomach rumbled. "And get some food, I'm starving!"

When nightfall came, the pair were under the covers, this time there was no hesitation as they wrapped their arms around each other, sharing their body heat. Sleep came easily for both, dreaming of each other in that world they were so desperately trying to get back to.

* * *

Sometime in the night Kai woke up and wondered what fresh hell he was in. He had morning wood as discrete as a clown in the military, the urge to piss so bad it felt like his kidney would burst and there was a bee inside the tent, right at the fucking door!

His options were bleak:

1\. Try to kill the bee.

2\. Sneak out, hoping the bee wouldn't notice him

3\. Say to hell with everything and burn an escape route- potentially burning down the forest in the process.

4\. Wake up Tyson, explain everything, pray to God that the kid didn't notice his raging hard-on. **Why the hell didn't he wear tighter pants?**

So it was his pride or death...

"Tyson!" he hissed. Surprisingly the boy opened his eyes immediately.

"K-Kai? What's up buddy?" he mumbled sleepily, rubbing one eye.

"Tyson, there is a bee in the tent."

"So? You pet spiders." Tyson scoffed.

"I'm allergic to bees."

It took Tyson a full 10 seconds to comprehend that statement. "How allergic?"

"If I get stung, without an epipen – I die."

Mahogany eyes widened, and his trademark grin and mind-boggling confidence came to the forefront. "Don't worry Kai, leave it to me! Wrap the blanket around you to act as a barrier." he instructed, leaving the warm cocoon that he and his bed mate had created, goosebumps appearing on his skin as he shivered. Not wanting to hurt the creature, as it wasn't it's fault that it had wandered into the tent, he used his powers to create an air current, so when he opened the zipper of the tent, the breeze carried the bee out of the tent and into the forest. "Bee is gone!" he announced. A blurr suddenly shot past him and he found himself alone in the tent. Hearing a very steady stream of water, he chuckled. "It's times like this where I remember you're actually human." he called into the bush.

"Zip it Kinomiya, or I'll put spiders on your face while you sleep!" came the sharp retort that made the teen shudder.

"How's this? You protect me from spiders, I'll make sure the bees don't get ya!" he reasoned. The Dranzer-holder came back a moment later and stared at the teen intensely for a moment before running his long, pale, slender fingers through Tyson's midnight tresses. Tyson was stunned at the intimate gesture, before he leaned into the touch. A moment later, Kai pulled away his hand and revealed yet another arachnid. Startled, Tyson jumped back. "Please tell me it doesn't have babies."

"No, worse. This one is poisonous."

"AND YOU'RE JUST HOLDING IT?!"

"As long as I make no sudden movements, I'll be fine." Tyson jumped back as the fire-manipulator turned the spider into ash. "Can't say the same for it."

"What kind of spider was that Kai?"

The spider-slayer said nothing and crawled back into bed. "You're better off not knowing."

The bluenette shivered before crawling into the warm bed with his partner, knowing this was the older's silent agreement to their deal. As soon as he felt the older's strong arms wrap around him, he immediately felt safe and drifted off to sleep, oblivious to the kiss that was placed upon his forehead and the promise after.

"I will always protect you, Tyson."

* * *

There another chapter done, with more adorableness for you guys. Are any of you able to figure out the last riddle without consulting google or any other search engine? Were Max and Ray in character? Anyone else wishing they had their own Kai to snuggle with? Hope you enjoyed and hopefully I can get the next chapter up soon.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Nope. Still own nothing.

So you guys, almost, almost didn't get this chapter today...as it's 3am and I have a shitton of things to do this week. I can honestly say I have no idea when I can update next. Life is getting hectic. But believe me, if I can find the time, I will update. A huge thank-you to Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, adbhut, miniJkitty, Angel Devastation and chibiduo for reviewing, you guys give me so much strength to keep going on with this (and write at 3am)

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

When morning came Kai wasted no time as he studied the riddle before him, trying to break it down into something that made more sense. "A hord of gold, so many treasures hold. No guards, no wards, prised by bards. But no merchant will accept it, cause as payment it doesn't fit. But still Chautea refills me every year, now the answer is clear!"

He rubbed his temples, wishing he had coffee to help him process this better. This was day number three without coffee and exhausted didn't even begin to explain what he was feeling. He really just wanted to return to civilization. Ugh, since when had he become so dependant ton the brown liquid to function?Taking a swig of water, he refocused his tired mind on the words.

 _Well a bard is a poet. It's a gold that's worthless to merchants, thus not needing any guards...it's filled every year...and we're in a forest._ He thought logically. _A tree gets its leaves every year, poets see its true value as a muse. A hord of worthless gold? Perhaps that's a reference to the_ _kind __of tree – since we're in a fucking forest. C'mon brain, WORK!_ Unconsciously he left hand had wondered to the sleeping teen beside him, calloused fingers playing with the celestial locks. _Worthless golden trees...trees that were golden.._.He stopped his ministrations as the answer came to him. _It's fucking obvious...trees with yellow or_ _golden_ _leaves._ He glared at the riddle. _Fucking Dickenson._ He turned and shook the sleeping boy beside him. "We're leaving, I've figured out the next riddle."

Tyson pulled the covers further over his head. "5 more minutes, Grandpa." he moaned.

Smirking mischievously, the Russian yanked the blankets off and the bluenette shivered, a tan hand reaching blindly for the warm cloth. "Kinomiya, up. Now."

Now any sane person would pale at the dangerous tone and do what was commanded without a second thought. This brat however just rolled over and curled his body around the Phoenix-Master and whined, "But Kaaaai! I saved you from the beeee! Don't I get some kind of reward for all my hard-work?"

Rolling his eyes at the childish antics, the man pride himself away from the child. "You not having to solve the rest of the riddles by yourself. We're leaving."

The boy grumbled and got out of bed, yawning loudly. "Can we scrounge up some breakfast? I'm starving!"

"Get your shit together and maybe. Do you know where any yellow-leaved trees are?"

Tyson brightened. "Yeah, there's a **huge** one pretty close to here, why? Is that where the riddle said to go?"

"Yeah."

"Ok! Let's go!" A sudden noise, that could be compared to a growling bear filled the tent. "After we get some grub!"

* * *

Luckily for Tyson, the path they were walking on was rich with berries and fruits, and Kai, being Mr. Know-it-all, knew exactly which ones were safe to eat.

Before long, they came to a massive tree with golden leaves and high in the branches was the envelope they were seeking. "I got this one!" proclaimed the World Champion, but just as his feet were about to leave the ground, Kai grabbed his arm.

"You'll be seen." he hissed.

"So? I don't exactly keep my powers a secret. Besides everyone saw me fly with my battle with Brooklyn. I don't see what the big deal is."

"It's not bladers I'm concerned about, it's them!" Kai pointed to the sky where a helicopter was flying overhead. "If they see anything out of the ordinary, it might cause unwanted attention."

Tyson's eyes widened. "Oh." He looked at the letter and closed his eyes for a moment, the wind shifted and he opened his eyes and tilted his neck to the side. The envelope was detached from the tree and fluttered down into the Wind-Master's hands. "There, happy?"

"Whatever." But Kai was impressed at Tyson's control.

Tyson pulled out gold star and put it beside the number 5 before reading out the last riddle. "I am an animal of three letters. My first 2 letters indicates an element and the last 2 indicates a preposition. What am I?" he looked helplessly at the puzzle solver. "Kai, any ideas?"

"The only animals with 3 letters that I know of are ; a dog, cat and a emu. The first two letters of cat is Ca, short for calcium, so we're looking for a cat."

"Great. Any idea where we could find a cat in a freaking forest?"

"And your asking me _why_?"

"Because you're the cat expert."

The cat-owner sighed. "C'mon, let's head back to base."

"What?! Why?!"

"Because chances are the cat they brought has been domesticated and it will stay close to food and shelter." Kai sighed, exasperated.

Tyson only grinned. "Awesome, way to go buddy. C'mon! Base is that way!"

Kai eyed Tyson suspiciously. "How haven't you gotten us lost yet?"

Tyson scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I kinda got lost a few times when I was here with Daichi. Thanks to him, I got to know this forest like the back of my hand."

"I see."

"So, c'mon! This trail should lead us back to base!" Tyson looked to the envelope that was still in his hand. "But first," he used the wind to guide the envelope back up the tree, and reattached it. "Ok, now we can go!"

* * *

It was nighttime before they made it back to base, unfortunately a group had made it before they had. "K-K-Kenny?!" exclaimed Tyson, his and Kai's eyes were wide in disbelief. "H-How did you beat _**US**_?!"

"Oh it was easy! I used my extensive knowledge to figure out the riddles, so we just stayed here at camp!"

Tyson smirked. "Nice try Chief, but you actually had to go to every location and get stickers."

"What?!" Screamed Kenny and Eddy in unison. Tyson held up their sheet with the different coloured stars as evidence. Kenny sunk to his knees. "Darn it, I was so close!"

Tyson chuckled and turned back around, blinking twice when he noticed Kai had a tiny kitten in his right hand, its' fur as white as the scarf around the Russian's neck, and a miniscule white envelope in his other hand. Tyson took the envelope and pulled out a single silver star before sticking it next to the number 6.

"CONGRATULATIONS LITTLE DUDES!" came Gramps' voice as he burst through the doors of the building. "You've won the scavenger hunt!"

"And as your reward, you guys get an extra strike for the tournament, starting at 4 strikes each." said Judy, walking out of the building.

Kai and Tyson shared a look, Tyson's eyes pleading and Kai finally nodding his head in agreement. "Actually, is it possible to give up our strikes to a group of our choosing?"

The woman blinked and rubbed her chin in thought. "I guess that's okay, but who do you have in mind?"

As if right on cue, Max and Ray came running out of the woods, followed closely by Tala and Daichi. "Ray and Max were a huge help to us, and we wanted to say 'Thank-you'." explained Tyson.

At this point the rest of the adult supervisors had come outside, plus Hilary. Judy explained the situation and they all discussed it for a moment, before the blonde woman walked up to her son and his partner. "Maxie, Ray. Tyson and Kai want to give their extra strike to you."

Bewildered, the pair looked at each other and then to their former teammates. "Really guys?" asked Max.

"Yeah, you won the prize, fair and square." added Ray.

"Yeah, but you guys helped us get our stuff back, and its not like Kai and I need it anyways." explained Tyson. "Besides, we still get bragging rights and that's all that _really_ matters here."

Ray and Max looked at each other and grinned. "Then, yes. We'll gladly accept the extra strike." they said in unison. All four boys shared a look.

Hilary stepped forward. "Alright! Who's hungry!"

Tyson, Max and Daichi's eyes lit up at the thought of real food and made a mad dash for the dinner table. Ray chuckled. "Somethings never change."

Kai, Tala, Eddy and Kenny all nodded in agreement and they followed the others inside.

* * *

Slowly, the other teams trickled their way in. All was peaceful until Ian and Johnny walked in. Several teams had been victims of their thieving and they were out for blood, figuring if the pair hadn't swindled them, they would've made it back first. That was, until Tyson stepped in and revealed that their stuff had also been stolen and they had STILL beaten everyone. But with so many hot-heads in the same room, it was inevitable that a beybattle would break out, luckily Tyson had made everyone chase him outside before it got out of hand. He then promptly shocked everyone and knocked their blades out of the arena.

Kai watched the following friendly matches with vast interest. Taking note of new blades, new moves, players stances, all the while sneaking fond glances at Tyson. It was truly astonishing how one person's love for the game could bring so many people together from around the world.

Tyson had changed the world of blading, and Kai was proud to call him his friend. The air suddenly turned frigid as the Dranzer-holder felt a presence next to him. "So how was the monkey-boy?" he asked.

"Went surprisingly well, he's a little more energetic than what I'm used to, but he wasn't completely incompetent. Though..." Kai turned to look at the red-head and was shocked to see violet blood-shot eyes with heavy bags underneath. "How did you manage to sleep through all the snoring WITH NO COFFEE?!"

Oh God, Tala was a zombie that was just about to snap and kill everyone.

"I got used to it." Kai deadpanned. "Go to bed. You look like shit."

"Bryan's not back yet."

Kai sighed in understanding. If he was in Tala's shoes, he wouldn't sleep either. "Go get us some coffee then."

Understanding that 'us' meant that Kai would wait up with him, the red-haired Russian stood in shock for a moment before getting some coffee from the kitchen.

* * *

It was 1:00 in the morning when the beybattles finally ceased and everyone was turning in for the night. God only knew what time their crazy supervisors would get them up in the morning for more training. Before Tyson went inside, he saw Tala and Kai sitting silently, sipping what he assumed to be coffee. Curious, he walked over to the Russian's. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"None of your business." snapped Tala, in a tone that would send most people running. Unfortunately, Tyson was much used to this treatment from Kai and didn't scare easily. Instead he crossed his arms and scoffed.

"Fine, be that way. I was only trying to be friendly." the bluenette took a second look and noticed their gaze was on the tree-line. Putting two-and-two together he said gently. "Y'know, probably whomever you're waiting for went to bed hours ago, when the sun went down. They'll probably show-up sometime tomorrow."

Tala stiffened and Kai turned to his friend. "Tala, he's right for a change. Let's turn in. They'll show up eventually." With no other option, the violet-eyed man looked at the forest one last time before he followed his friends to bed.

* * *

The following morning's breakfast made chaotic seem peaceful. Everyone had made a mad dash to the food before Tyson or Daichi could beat them to it. Then Lee and Micheal started an argument on whether sausage or bacon was better, while Max tried to make everyone try mustard. Well, almost everyone. The ice-cold warning glares of Kai and Tala made the American retreat silently to go bother someone else.

By noon, it was determined only 3 teams were missing; Claude and Bryan, Mystel and Enrique, Oliver and Spencer, and they had until 3 before a search party was going to be sent out to look for them. Tala became more and more tense with each passing minute. At 2:30 Mystel and Enrique came out of the forest with Enrique shouting. "Hey! Is that damn cat over here?!"

Said cat, was perched on Kai's shoulder and had barely left the dual-haired man's side since they met.

Lee laughed. "Yeah! Kai and Tyson beat us all here!"

Enrique glared at his partner. "See? I told you that it would probably be here." Mystel only laughed an jumped away.

15 minutes later, Spencer came out of the forest with an unconscious Jim on his back. "Little guy ended up falling out of the tree on the last challenge and broke his leg. Right now he's dosed up on morphine." Explained the Russian urgently.

At once the injured boy was ushered inside, the former team Psyik surrounded their friend as Judy slowly lifted up the pant leg. Everyone visibly paled. The bone had pierced right through the skin. "We need to get him to a hospital!" Judy said calmly, but sternly.

Robert pulled out his cellphone and requested a helicopter to pick them up ASAP. 30 minutes later a huge helicopter picked up the team and Mr. Tate.

It was now 3:00 and after the incident that just happened, Tala was edgy and Kai was sick of waiting around. "Tala, Tyson, Ray, The White Tigers, Mystel and myself will go look for Bryan and Claude."

Hiro and Miguel immediately protested.

"Claude is MY teammate, I should be out there with you!" said Miguel.

"I know this forest better than anyone. I'm coming!" declared Hiro.

Feeling a headache coming on and so not in the mood to argue, Kai grunted. "Whatever." He looked down and Kenny was suddenly before him.

"I made more of my communication devices, so you guys can figure out which part of the forest you're covering. They include tracking devices so we can talk and keep an eye on you guys from here."

Deciding that Kenny was the most useful person here, Kai accepted the devices and nodded his head in thanks. Giving them to Tyson to distribute among the rescue party, he quickly explained how they worked. "Alright, it's a large area that we have to cover, there are 10 of us so everyone stay within a kilometre of each other. Bryan is a survivalist, so look for smoke signals, flares, listen for tapping especially." He turned to the rest of the bladers. "When was the last time any of you saw Bryan or Claude?"

Rick was the first to speak up. "I saw them 2 days ago near the beehive."

Miguel gasped and everyone looked at him. "Anything you want to clue us in on?"

"I-It's just, Claude is allergic to bees."

You could hear a pin drop.

"Ok, everyone move out!" Barked Kai and at once Hiro, the nekojins and Mystel started leaping through the trees, Miguel, Tyson and Tala running through the forest. Meanwhile Kai quickly ran inside to grab a medical kit, then entered the forest.

As soon as the Rescue Squad was gone, Kenny went inside with Judy and Emily hot on his heels, turning on his laptop so they could keep everyone on course.

* * *

It was over 3 hours before Mariah's shaky voice came over the radio waves. "I-I just found Bryan's jacket...i-it doesn't look good guys."

Three kilometres away, Tala's heart stopped. "What do you mean by that?"

"T-The vest is shredded and there'sbloodonit!" she sobbed.

Tala froze. He couldn't. Bryan couldn't.

"Mariah, stay where you are, everyone go to her location. We don't know anything for sure yet." came Kai's smoky voice, giving something Tala desperately needed – hope.

"Alright. I'm right near the yellow-leafed tree."

Running as fast as his feet could carry him, Tala ran to the location, only to freeze when he saw the pink-haired girl holding the shredded, bloody pieces of cloth that was once his lover's jacket. Her eyes shone with tears. "I-I'm so sorry Tala." she sniffed, surrendering the garment to the Blitzkrieg Captain.

Kai appeared a moment later with Tyson closely behind. "Let me see that." Shakily the broken man gave the soiled garment to Kai who closely inspected it.

"There's a chance he's still alive." Everyone looked at the Dranzer wielder. "The colour of the blood is still fairly dark and some parts are damp. This didn't occur long ago." Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Ruby eyes saw several droplets of crimson and noticed the foot-prints in the dirt. His stomach lurched. "This way!"

The others followed closely behind the tracker as he lead them off the trail and into the bush, only Tyson took the time to see what caused the panic in the tough blader's eyes. What he saw next made his own heart sink. There, in the dirt, was the unmistakable paw print of a bear.

* * *

See? I'm really not happy unless there is some kind of chaos. Poor Tala... You guys should really start reading this with tissues close by, even I'm getting a little teary-eyed and sick reading it...

Please leave a review to tell me what you thought! I'll update as soon as I can, I promise!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own beyblade nor make any profit from this story. Therefore I have to do something called "work" and get yelled at by bitchy customers.

Hello, I'm back guys! Sorry for such a long wait, kinda been through hell and back, even had a mental breakdown this week (caused by a shitton of stress and a spider who thought it would be a great idea to crawl all over me...Tyson's reaction paled in comparison to my total freak out and melt down). A huge thank-you to Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, adbhut, miniJkitty, Angel Devastation, chibiduo and Rapunzelle for all your reviews and to all my other readers who are following this story every week. You guys are what keeps me going!

The amount of research I did for this chapter was sickening, by the way.

WARNINGS: All the warnings, I recommend to keep a tissue box close by.

* * *

The blood-trail thickened as they went further into the woods, their hopes diminishing with every step.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The unmistakable clanking of rocks could be heard- Could it be? "Bryan!" Tala screamed.

The tapping got faster and louder in response and the group ran towards the sound. Soon they came to a sight that froze them in terror. There, in the clearing, was a huge black bear and underneath it were the limps of their missing friends, but the tapping still continued.

Bravely stepping forward, knowing at least one of the boys were still alive, blade ready to launch at a second's notice, Kai soon noticed that the animal didn't seem to be breathing and he hurried towards the gruesome sight. He could see Bryan and Claude, the lower halves of their bodies being pinned by the weight of the bear, covered in blood. Bryan's Falborg was imbedded into the bear's skull. Bryan's left hand was moving, continuously banging two stones together.

He called over to the rescue team. "The bear's dead, we need to get it off them!"

The bladers rushed and lifted the 400 pound beast off their friends, immediately Bryan opened his eyes. "A-About t-time you g-guys s-showed up." he said to Tala, smiling weakly, they clasped hands, intertwining their fingers and tears threatened to fall from Tala's eyes.

Kai and Ray inspected the victims, there were three wide gashes across Bryan's chest and blood seeped from a wound on Claude's shoulder, several open cuts littered their faces. "Ok, are there any wounds that we cannot see?" asked Ray.

"C-Claude's got at l-least one f-fractured rib, j-judging by his breathing a lung is partially collapsed. I've f-forbidden him from talking. I-I got slashed on the b-back as well."

Suddenly Claude coughed and blood spluttered from his mouth and Bryan's eyes rolled back into his head and his hand went limp. "Bryan? BRYAN!" Tala screamed.

It was Wyatt all over again, except they were going to lose two people. Tears stung Tyson's eyes and fell, feeling the wetness on his cheeks made him think back to when he was the one on death's door and Kai...he... "Kai! You have to cry!" Everyone looked at Tyson like he had grown a second head, Kai Hiwatari did not cry. "Your tears, they saved me from Boris! Think about that moment. Think about when Wyatt died!"

"What's he talking about?" Ray asked Kai, but the man wasn't listening as he looked at Bryan's deathly face. He remembered what he had learned – what Boris had done to them. How in a world without Bryan...Tala would just break. His mind flashed back to that moment in that dream world and how lost and devastated he felt when he thought Tyson was slipping away from him. Soon the tears came and they fell upon the broken bodies. A light blinded them all.

"Wow...the Mighty Kai crying. Never thought I would live to see that." came a chuckle.

Tala gasped. "Bryan!"

Both silver-haired boys had opened their eyes and they slowly sat up. Their wounds had vanished and Claude's breathing was slow and even. Everyone looked at Kai in astonishment, who collapsed into Tyson's awaiting arms.

"Wait, so Mr. Ice Prince's tears can bring back the dead?!" asked the shocked Lee, trying to piece everything together.

"Yeah, pretty much." said Tyson, looking at the sleeping 'Ice Prince' fondly.

"Well that figures...if only Tyson's tears could bring back the dead - we'd all be immortal!" Everyone laughed while Tyson just scowled.

"Hey, not my fault if I'm not as emotionally constipated as you!"

Deciding to head back, Tyson piggybacked the exhausted Kai back to base. Everyone welcomed back the group with open arms, then after noticing their blood-stained clothes, they demanded to know what had happened. It was Tyson who just laughed and said, "A miracle."

* * *

Kai woke up the next morning feeling groggy, sore and disoriented, until everything came back to him. Bryan! Claude! He shot straight up out of bed, accidentally punching Tyson in the face and sent him spiralling to the floor."

"Ow..." the bluenette groaned, about to give whatever it was a piece of his mind, but when he saw the Russian his anger dissipated and was replaced with happiness. "Kai! You're finally awake!"

"What happened to Bryan and Claude?"

"They've made a complete recovery. Bryan is now in the clutches of Tala's overbear- I mean _loving_ arms and Claude immediately wanted to blade as soon as he got back. You're a hero!"

A small, relieved smile graced his lips for a brief second. "How much does everyone know?" he asked solemnly.

"Only that your tears can cure cancer." teased the boy taking a seat at the edge of the bed.

"So no one has asked about Boris? Or how you knew?"

"Well, I can't ignore chocolate pudding when it calls my name can I?" Tyson laughed.

So basically the Dragoon Master was dodging questions, that was fine by him. It was none of their business anyways. Kai decided to take a good look at his friend, frowning slightly when he saw Tyson's face. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes glassy and unfocused and he was panting slightly. "Just how hard did I hit you?"

"Kai, I'm fine! Really!"

"Tell that to someone who doesn't know you." he placed a cool hand on the tanned forehead and his frown deepened at the heat radiating off the other's skin. A thought occurred to him and his eyes narrowed. "Take off your shirt."

"Wha? Why?"

"Just do it Kinomiya."

"Fine, if you want to see my perfect body so badly." the younger teased, stripping of his shirt revealing his tanned, toned upper body. Kai marvelled at the beauty for a second before narrowing his eyes and pulling the boy closer to him. He carefully looked the boy over, inch by inch, studying every bit of exposed skin carefully, before turning the boy around forcefully and studied his back. It was there on his left shoulder blade did the Russian see what was the cause of Tyson's sudden sickness. A large female tick had attached itself to the skin and was currently gorging out on the all-you-can-eat buffet that was Tyson's blood. The bulls-eye shaped rash only confirmed his fears. Trying not to panic the arachnophobe, he said sternly. "I'll be back."

"In a few minutes or a few weeks?" joked the bluenette.

Kai rolled his eyes. "At least your lame sense of humour is still intact." he said as he walked out the room, but it really worried him more. Tyson only joked around like that if he was trying to get the attention of himself or if he was insulting others. The one thing that Tyson was a master at was putting on a fake smile when he felt like shit. A tactic that _really_ threw off opponents in the beydish.

Quickly grabbing the medical kit he walked back to the room where Tyson was still sitting on the bed, his head lowered, his fingers massaging his temples. "Kinomyia."

Slightly startled, said boy looked up and Kai threw a bottle of Tylenol. Mahogany eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"Intuition." he sat down behind Tyson and opened the medical kit. He noticed the 17-year old kept perfectly still, placing complete trust in him. He used an alcoholic swap to sanitize the area before grabbing a pair of tweezers. In one fluid motion he removed the entire parasite from its host's body, placing it into a Ziploc bag. He then re-sanitized the tweezers and ditched the gloves. Mentally preparing himself for the freakout that was sure to come, he said, "Turn around." and held up the captured tick.

Tyson jumped back in surprise. "W-What is that?"

"It's a tick and I highly suspect it gave you Lyme Disease."

"O-Oh."

They sat in silence for a few moments. "You good?"

"Yeah."

"Good. You're going to a doctor."

Too stunned to argue, Tyson followed his friend down the stairs to where is grandfather was peeling potatoes for that night's supper. Upon seeing the boys Ryuu Kinomiya greeted them warmly. "Hey T-man, K-man, what's shaking?"

"Tyson got bit by a tick." Kai turned the boy around to show the rash and just how serious the situation was.

"Oh the little fellow just slipped right in there, eh. Well no worries. Judy came in this prepared, she has the stuff you need."

Kai folded his arms and looked at the man sceptically. "Oh really? She has doxycycline with her?"

"As a matter of a fact, I do. Who got bit?" the woman asked, appearing in the doorway.

"I-I did." stuttered Tyson, surprised.

"May I take a look?" she asked sweetly. Tyson walked over and allowed her to study his back. "Mm-hmm, that's a tick bite alright. Nice catch Kai, you caught it super early. Luckily I brought a lot with me, just in case. Though, it might be a good idea to check the rest of the kids as well." from her bag she pulled out the medication. "Make sure you take this everyday Tyson for the next 4 weeks. For now though, you should take it easy today. As in, NO BLADING."

"Awww, can I at least watch?" pleaded Tyson.

"Yes, that should be fine." said Judy and Tyson put on his happy-go-lucky smile, before heading back to his room, Kai following closely behind.

He immediately flopped down on the bed. "Oh man this sucks! Benched by a stupid bug!." He sat up. "Hey Kai, you should let me check your back!"

Said man lifted a grey eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, so that was I can make sure you don't have Loser's disease or whatever it's called."

"Tyson, you're deathly afraid of spiders."

"So? Doesn't mean I have to touch it."

Deciding to humour the teen, since he was sick and benched, Kai removed his purple jacket and shirt revealing milky white skin and impressive taut muscles. Tyson's mouth just hung open in awe at the chiseled, god-like body before him.

"Careful Kinomiya, you might let flies in." The bluenette snapped his mouth shut with an audible 'click'.

"I bet they would still taste better than Max's mustard."

"Hn." The holder of Dranzer sat on the edge of the bed, back facing his rival as he allowed himself to be examined.

When warm, timid fingers grazed along his skin, electricity shot through his spine and heat pooled into his groin, he fought the blush that was threatening to rise into his cheeks. Tyson moved closer to inspect the pale flesh, and Kai had to bite back a moan as he felt hot breath ghost along his skin. His knuckles turned white as he fought against the overwhelming impulse to turn around and pin the boy to the bed and teach him a very fun way to play "Doctor". Unconsciously he leaned into the touches.

A camera click brought him back to reality as Tyson slid his phone over wordlessly. Taking a good look at the image, he was shocked to find an 8-legged creature, bigger than the one he had pulled from Tyson's back, in the centre of a rash identical to Tyson's.

...Fuck his life.

"I need to find Tala!" said the Russian, bolting from the room, still shirtless.

"Third door on your right!" called Tyson, amusement in his voice.

* * *

Once word had gotten around that both Tyson and Kai were bit by ticks, everyone was stripping off their garments, searching themselves and others for the tiny insects. By the end of the morning, 6 more bladers discovered that they were hosts for the blood-suckers, 3 of which were infected with Lyme Disease. Coincidentally all 8 of them had been victims of Ming- Ming's, Julia's, Johnny's and Ian's treachery. So while they were all stuck on the sidelines while everyone else trained, they brainstormed a plan to get back at the quartet.

"We could slip bugs into their food!" suggested Lee.

"We should steal their blades!" exclaimed Micheal.

"We should take them on their mattress and leave them in the middle of the river!" shouted Rick.

"Man, you guys are all amateurs." Everyone looked at Kai.

"Well, what do you think we should do?" asked Gokie.

"We dump ants into their beds." he smirked as wicked grins spread across their faces.

"Perfect." said Tyson, knowing just where to find some.

* * *

The following morning the four bullies woke up screaming as hundreds of ants crawled all over their bodies, their skin covered in red dots that itched like crazy and they only thing that Judy could do was douse them in Calamine Lotion and help them comb the insects out of their hair.

Their victims smirked in triumph, high-fiving each other. Johnny noticed and glared. "This means war!"

Tyson turned to the Scotsman. "Oh yeah? Well bring it on! We can take anything you guys dish out, just don't go crying to Mommy!" declared Tyson with a laugh.

"Well at least I have a mother!"

Micheal whistled. That was a low blow. Their bickering gathered a crowd.

"At least my mom wasn't a cock-sucking gold-digger."

"Heh, you would know all about cock-sucking wouldn't you Kinomiya? Tell me, how do Kai's balls taste?"

"Hmm, you could try finding out for yourself, after the beating he gives you, once the doctor is done stitching you up, you can ask for a new face as well."

"OOOOOooooohhhh." several people commented.

"You think you're so great, but without Dragoon, I bet you're nothing!"

"Wanna put that theory to the test? Fine. I'll take you and Salamalyon on without Dragoon!"

"Bring it on!"

"I'll see you outside in 15 minutes." The crowd parted to let the hot-heads through, the former Bladebreakers following the pissed off bluenette.

"Tyson you don't have to go through with this!" pleaded Kenny.

"Chief, he insulted my mom, myself and Kai. I'm not going to let him get away with that."

The 16-year old sighed, knowing that when Tyson used that tone of voice there was no stopping him, and replaced Dragoon's bit with an ordinary white one. "Good luck Tyson."

"Thanks Chief, but we all know I'm gonna mop the floor with him."

"Yeah, you show him Ty-miester!" cheered Max.

He gave his friend who was like a brother to him a appreciative grin before turning to the oldest member of their circle. "Hey Kai, can you hold on to Dragoon for me?" The look in his eyes added _**'And don't let him help me, no matter what.'**_

"Whatever." _**I promise.**_

* * *

Soon Tyson and Johnny had their eyes locked, blades at the ready, with eyes full of determination. Max took the position as referee as everyone gathered around. "Alright this will be a single battle match, first one to be knocked out or stops spinning, loses. Players take your mark. 3...2...1! LET IT RIP!"

The red and white blade clashed and it became immediately apparent that even without the aid of the blue dragon, the world champion was still a force to be reckoned with.

Inside Kai's hand, Dragoon's bit-piece glowed, warming Kai's bare fingers. "Calm down. Tyson said not to let you interfere."

Using his own willpower to control his blade and still not feeling the greatest, Tyson was tiring faster than he would in a normal battle. "Go Dragoon, attack!" his blade slammed into Johnny's over-powering it and slowly drove it to the edge of the dish.

Sweat poured down the Scottish blader's face as he bit his lip. Tyson was more powerful than he had anticipated, at the very least the white blade should be losing steam by now! Deciding it was time to release his ultimate weapon, he summoned his beast. "Salamalyon, let's teach this kid that he's not all that tough!" At once the red blade emitted a bright light and a huge red salamander came forth. He used his bitbeast's power and slammed Tyson to the other side of the dish.

Dragoon's spirit attempted to free itself from the Phoenix Master's hold. "Man, you're just as stubborn as he is! Let him do this!"

As Tyson felt himself getting hot underneath the collar he remembered why Kai had such a problem beating Johnny the first time. This suffocating heat that his bitbeast radiated made things a lot more difficult. It was time to cool things down. "Dragoon!" Everyone watch as his blade disappeared.

"What the-?" Johnny's violet eyes searched the dish for his opponent's blade.

Tyson rubbed his nose. "Y'know Johnny, there's something that you need to accept about me – like air, I will always rise. Dragoon!"

Johnny barely managed to dodge the blade that shot down like a bullet, spinning so fast, bringing the cool air currents with in, making the air more breathable.

Everyone gaped at the crater Tyson's blade had created and marveled how it was still spinning, not losing any momentum from the impact.

Johnny growled. "Salamalyon!" the beast started shooting purple fireballs from its mouth, which Tyson's Dragoon blade dodged before the red blade smashed viciously into it. Since most of Tyson's energy was poured into his blade, the blow felt like a punch to the stomach, making Tyson double over in pain.

This severely ticked off the ancient dragon and with a great burst of power it finally broke free from Kai's grasp, hurling the man backwards into a tree in the process. Just as it was about to join his master in battle, the legendary Red Phoenix blocked its path. "Stand aside Dranzer! I need to help the boy as you should be helping your master."

"Kai can handle himself, as can your charge." Dranzer's voice was like that of a stern, yet loving mother. "Just obey his wishes and watch how strong he has become!" They looked down at the blue-hair boy, who now stood straight, smirking. "That was a nice attack, but the battle ends here."

Kai recovered just in time to watch Tyson demonstrate the finishing move that he had used against Ray – flawlessly. The knight's blade was completely sent out of the dish. He smiled, proud of his friend for mastering such a complicated move. Those long weekend training sessions had indeed paid off.

He quickly looked around for the troublesome and stubborn blue dragon, only to sigh in relief when he saw the spirit with his own phoenix, they had obviously overseen the battle. Seconds later the spirits turned back into red and blue energy and returned to their dwellings, Dragoon going to the bit-piece that was still in Kai's right hand, and Dranzer going back to her blade that was tucked safely in his pocket. He silently thanked Dranzer for helping him keep his promise to Tyson.

He watched Tyson go up to his opponent and thank him for the awesome match, as soon as they shook hands, all was forgiven.

Yeah, Tyson was something else entirely.

"You've improved Kinomiya." he said when his rival approached him, Ray and Max following closely behind.

"Yeah, that's because of all that training we've been doing." he grinned. "Can I have Dragoon back?" He handed over the bit-piece. "Thanks Kai."

Crimson eyes studied his rival. His face was sweaty, tanned cheeks were flushed and his eyes drooped slightly. The battle had exhausted him. That was one of the drawbacks of being World Champion, the pressure of having to be 'perfect' all the god-damn time – not allowing opponents to see your weakness. In result Tyson only showed his true emotions to his grandfather, Max, Ray, Hilary, Kenny, Daichi and himself. He had to get his friend away from everyone so he could rest properly.

Luckily, he was Kai Hiwatari.

He shared a nod with Ray, who had also noticed Tyson's condition. "Well you're going to need him to beat me after all."

"Heh, let's see how you do without your Dranzer."

"Better than you."

Ray took the opportunity to slip away, dragging Max away with him so that they could start a battle and distract the other bladers so none of them would challenge Tyson next.

During their bickering, Kai had lead Tyson to a grassy hill behind the training centre. He laid down on the grass, taking a particularly long blade of grass to chew on as Tyson laid next to him, talking about past battles, both staring at the clouds. Minutes later though, the teen had trailed off and Kai glanced over and a small smile graced him lips as he saw Tyson's tender, sleeping face. He reached over and drew the boy closer, and as the stormy scent washed over him, he decided to take a nap as well.

* * *

Well its done, chapter 16 is finally up, please send me a review letting me know what you thought, as they are a huge motivator to keep this story going! I'll update later, my eyes are drooping lol. Life has finally slowed down a little so I should be back to your regular updates.

You know someone loves you when they're willing to face their worse fear to make sure you're okay.

For those of you who are reading all these scenes and just want some sexy Tyka action, please check out my story "Anything" it's a hard KaixTyson lemon.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ideas inside my head.

So to be entirely honest, I'm typing this while I'm borderline drunk. So any mistakes, I apologize, I will edit at work tomorrow. Why so intoxicated? Shit happens. But writing makes me feel better. *takes another shot * Now I thank Little A Granger, adbhut, Tyka's Flower and Angel Devastation for all your kind reviews, this is for you guys!

* * *

It was Day 6 of training camp, their last full day before the buses took them all home the following morning, and everyone was trying to get in as much training as possible. Tyson was taking on several opponents at once while Kai was engaged in a beybattle with Garland (which it looked way more like a boxing match). Much to everyone's disappointment night came too quickly for anyone's liking, and after a good night's sleep, they managed to get some more training in before the buses came for them.

Along the way they decided to stop at the nearby hospital to check on Jim and give him their well-wishes. Team Pysick was surprised at the visit but welcomed everyone with open arms. Jim, who was recovering well, thanked Spencer for carrying him back to camp and the Russian just joked how the boy was lighter than Tala.

While everyone was chatting, knowing the team didn't have much money, Kai snuck away and paid for their hospital bills. When he finished speaking with the lady at front desk and spun around he came face to face with Robert, who had is bank card out. "Don't bother, it's already been taking care of."

Robert smiled. "Aren't you full of surprises. Careful, people will think that you're starting to go soft."

"Hn. Since when have I ever cared what people think about me?"

"Touché." His violet eyes narrowed. "There's word going around that Bartez is recruiting bladers again."

Kai froze. The entire room felt like it was spinning. Not him. Not now. Not after what Boris did to Tyson. Ruby eyes narrowed and he quickly composed himself. "Some people never learn. See if you can figure out which bladers are his."

"We will try. But I recommend that you have tight security, regardless."

Kai nodded and headed back to the room. Paranoia was settling in and he looked at all the hospital staff he passed suspiciously. This piece of news had been his wake-up call and a rude reminder that his grandfather and Boris had associates everywhere. He rushed back to Jim's room.

When he saw Tyson safe and sound, doing a horrible impression of him, it felt like 100 pounds had been lifted off his chest, and he was able to breathe properly again. He reached into his pocket and clutched Dranzer. His friends were safe, it was now his job to keep it that way.

* * *

When they all re-boarded the bus, Kai eyed the bus driver carefully, remembering when Dr. B had captured them by knocking them out with that gas and held them captive on that island – satisfied that it was the usual driver that the BBA sent them, he sat down next to Tyson at the back of the bus, earning him a huge, surprised smile from the bluenette. "Oh is the sourpuss feeling social today?" he joked.

"What I chose to do is my business, Kinomiya."

"Jeez, who pissed in your cornflakes?"

"Butt out." Tyson looked at his friend with worry, yeah this was typical Kai, but for someone who usually slept on long trips, the Russian's body poster said that he was high alert. He gave one last glance to the enigma before starting a conversation with Max, who was in front of him, deciding he would let Kai be for now.

Soon they were at the airport, saying their good-byes. Max and Ray had decided they were going to train with their old teams the All-Starz and White Tiger X, but promised that they would be back to visit sometime in the summer. While Tyson was busy saying his farewells to the majestics, Kai took the opportunity to speak to his old team alone.

"Word is Bartez is recruiting players to enter in the tournament."

The Blitzkrieg Boyz gritted their teeth. "Man, these guys don't give us a break." said Spencer.

"What do you need us to do Kai?" asked Bryan.

"Figure out what he's up to, see if he's still in contact with Boris or Voltaire. We can't afford to take any chances." The Russians nodded in understanding.

"You just have that stadium ready for us for when we kick your ass." Chucked Tala.

Kai smirked. "I could take on all three of you blindfolded and still win."

Soon everyone parted ways, leaving only Kai, Tyson and Kenny. "Wow, it's so weird to have everyone gone." Tyson's shoulders slumped forward, his eyes downcast. He reminded Kai of a little kid who had just dropped his ice cream cone.

"Don't worry Tyson, we'll see everyone soon, and now you have time to study for finals."

"FINALS?!" shrieked the bluenette. "Oh I forgot! I am SO screwed!" he got down on his knees. "Chief! Kai! You gotta help me! I don't wanna take summer school!"

Kenny grinned, his plan to distract Tyson was working perfectly. "I'll give you copies of my notes and we'll study on the weekends."

Kai's heart sank. Until finals were over, there wouldn't be much time to train.

"Awww, but my weekends are spent training with Kai!." whined Tyson, looking at the Russian. Kai was caught off-guard, huge, innocent brown eyes glistened with tears and an adorable pout adorned the boy's face. Tyson looked like a kicked puppy and it was rapidly melting the CEO's insides. "Studying is like training, so please come over and help?" The doe-brown eyes got impossibly bigger.

"Hn. Whatever." he conceited, mentally beating himself for being unable to resist the manipulation tactic.

Tyson's face instantly brightened. "You are a life saver Kai!"

Right now he had to save face. "Yeah well, don't get used to it."

Kenny went home and the duo returned to the empty dojo. Gramps and Hiro stayed behind to finish cleaning the training centre and Hiro had said something about wanting to speak to Mr. Dickenson when they got back.

Both of them felt exhausted from the week's mayhem, collapsing onto the couch. Kai ditched his scarf and began to search netflix for movies on Max's account (because everyone knows that American netflix was the best). They finally decided on The Expendables. They laid across opposite ends of the couch, neither minding that their legs were touching, and that was the position they were in when the elder Kinomiyas came home later that night, the only difference was that both Kai and Tyson were completely passed out.

Hiro raised an blue eyebrow at their closeness. "Say, does Kai stay here often?"

Upon hearing his name, the slate-haired man was immediately awake.

"Occasionally. Usually it's T-man going over to his place though. K-man and him ended up helping a mama cat deliver her young-lings and both of the lil' dudes got really attached." came Grandpa Kinomiya's hushed, but still enthusiastic voice.

"I see. Is it wise to have them being so close though? You know what Kai can be like."

The old man chuckled. " A lot has happened since you left Hiro. K-man came in and broke Tyson out of his funk and T-man has had a lot of good mojo. He's doing what he loves, his grades are up and he never stops smiling."

"For now, until Kai finds some excuse to leave again. What about this upcoming tournament? Don't you remember how depressed Tyson was last time?"

"Our lil' dude will be fine. He knows that his friends will always be there for him and this will let him let loose a little."

"How can you trust Kai so readily though?"

Kai's ears perked up, he wanted to know the answer too.

"Because he saved my grandson, in more ways than one."

Huh? What did that mean?

"He launched a beyblade at my head!"

"Oh geez, look at the time homeboy! This ol' geezer has got to catch some ZZZ's!" There was the sound of hurried footsteps and a door sliding shut.

Kai recalled the day he had launched Dranzer at Hiro with a smile. That had been his way of saying "Fuck you" for benching Tyson so they wouldn't battle. He had held a grudge against the former BBA Revolutions manager ever since. He eyed Tyson's sleeping figure from across the couch and a devilish smirk played on his lips when an idea formed in his head. He grabbed Tyson under the arms and pulled him over to his side of the couch. Tyson instinctively curled into his chest and the rebel slid one arm around the sleeping boy's slim waist and put his right hand on Tyson's ass, gripping it firmly, and waited.

A moment later, Hiro came into the living room and gasped as Kai looked him dead in the eye and grinned. Even in the dim lighting he could see the bluenette shake with rage. He pulled Tyson closer. Hiro immediately ran down the hallway and Kai took his hand off Tyson's firm backside and put it around his waist and pretended to be asleep.

He heard two sets of footprints a moment later and grandpa's voice, "I don't see what has your knickers in a twist sonny. They do that all the time."

"No, he was grabbing Tyson's ass!" Kai could practically hear the gears grinding in Hiro's head as he processed that statement. "What?! What do you mean all the time?!" Both men left the room, Gramps ignoring Hiro's endless questions.

Inwardly, Kai was howling with laughter. He had finally discovered what made Hiro snap and – oh it was sweet. He decided that he was going to stop by more often this week, if only to see the displeasure on the jerk-wad's face. Chuckling one last time to himself, he closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

The 7:00am alarm shattered the peaceful quiet in the Kinomiya household, the moment Tyson was up, he realized he had nothing ready for school and most of his clothes he had taken to camp were completely filthy. Kai on the other hand, kept a spare set of work clothes at the Kinomiya residence at all times.

So while Tyson was frantically going through his closet like a raving lunatic, Kai was taking a nice hot, shower. Fortunately by the time the young adult exited the washroom, fully dressed in a white blouse, a maroon tie and black dress pants, his face free of the war paint, Tyson was actually dressed. A smile adorned Kai's face when he saw that his secret love was wearing his purple shirt that he had given him all those months ago. His nose was suddenly attacked by the overwhelming odour of axe. "Kinomiya, spray deodorant is NOT a replacement for a shower!"

"Says the guy who stayed on the streets for 2 weeks!"

Kai's brain finally processed the leather scent. "Hey wait, is that _mine_?"

Tyson read the label and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Ah, sorry Kai. Easy mistake." the tossed the Phoenix axe deodorant back to its owner, who caught it swiftly with one hand.

"Whatever." He sprayed the smallest bit possible under his arms and checked his phone. 7:25am. He followed Tyson to the breakfast table where pancakes and sausages were already on the table for them. Grandpa was sitting down and reading the newspaper while Hiro just glared at his brother's molester.

"Wow Kai, I think this is the first time I've seen you dress like an adult instead of like some trick-or-treater."

"Hey, what gives?!" demanded Tyson, sending his brother a glare.

"Hn. Still better than your "Gin of the Gale", at least I show my face."

Tyson spun around. "Kai!"

The deafening sound of a kendo stick hitting the floor made all three boys turn around to see Grandpa, clearly displeased, towering over them. "Now if you homies wanna fight, how about you come practice with a true Master?"

Tyson panicked. "Yeah, gee, we'd love to but we gotta go or else we'll be late Gramps!" He grabbed Kai by the arm and dashed out the door, Kai's new kitten following them out the door.

Hiro on the other hand grinned. "Ready to get schooled old man?"

* * *

Once Kai and Tyson were on the road, Tyson asked, "So what's going on between you and my brother?"

"None of your business."

"It's my family, so yeah, it is my business. He looked like he was going to _kill_ you."

"Love to see him try."

"Kai, I'm serious! Like I know he can be a total jerk, but so can you! I would think you'd know better than anyone that jerks will be jerks and sometimes that's just who they are!"

The Russian gripped the steering wheel. "Maybe, but I can't respect someone who abandons his own brother because he thinks that someone else is better, and who gets off by telling people that they suck. Seriously, how are you, Mr. You-can-do-it even related to that asshole?"

Tyson looked at his friend, stunned. "Wow, never thought that you would feel that way." he turned his nose in the air. "But to answer your question, no one can be as awesome as I am. I mean, poor guy, I got both the looks and the brains!"

Kai found himself snickering. Damn, the kid's positivity was infectious. He could seriously marry Tyson right now.

Somehow Tyson changed the topic to launchers and it was utterly turning Kai on!

"I love the _easy-grip_ launchers, they are so much easier to _handle_ and grabbing it with my _entire hand_ gives me more control so I can put more spin on my blade."

Kai's cock twitched at the erotic scene that played in his head, while he tried to focus on the road. "The easy-grip ones are nice, I especially like the ones that have a _nice curve in the hilt_ , it makes it easier to shoot at an angle." he replied.

He imagined stroking off the younger teen and angling his dick just so that cum would get all over Tyson's face.

...It was a really good thing that Kai was fantastic at multitasking.

"Oh yeah, those ones are pretty cool!" Kai pulled up in front of the school. "Alright, thanks Kai!" Tyson peered over at the driver. "Hey Kai, your face is pretty red, you feeling ok?"

Damn, his mask had slipped. "I'm fine Kinomiya. Quit dwaddling and go to school!" he snapped.

"Ok, Ok! I'm going, jeez! Catch ya later!" the student waved. Kai waited until Tyson was inside the building, staring at the teen's ass the entire time, imagining all the ways he could be inside of him. It soon became apparent he had a problem to take care of.

When he got to work, his kitten trailing behind him, he told his secretary not to bother him since he was going to be in an important call. He locked the door behind him and lied on his couch while the kitten explored. He quickly unbuttoned his blouse and pulled himself out, and began slowly stroking his member. Closing his eyes he pictured Tyson, tentatively stroking him, until the strokes became harder and more frequent as Tyson gained more confidence. Calloused fingers fingers teased the head as the other hand went slowly down his entrance, and cautiously inserted a finger.

Kai groaned in ecstasy. White encompassing his vision as his hot seed splashed onto his chest. He panted heavily, glassy maroon eyes half-lidded, body trembling as he came down from his high.

Oh that had felt _way_ too damn good.

He took in his state. Shirt open, pants at his thighs, his hair tousled in every direction, his torso drenched in cum. He chuckled and hand a hand through his slate bangs. "Oh Tyson, if only you could see what you do to me."

He grabbed some tissues and wiped himself clean and redressed, once again looking like the hard-ass CEO of Hiwatari Enterprises and not like some horny, love-sick teenager.

He informed his secretary that he was now available and soon it was business as usual.

What he had discovered was Mr. Dickenson had been true to his word and kept the company running smoothly in his absence, even organizing his files alphabetically.

Now all he had to do was sign everything.

* * *

By 4:00pm he was _so_ done. After going through and signing nearly a thousand documents, reports, requests; his head was pounding, his hand felt numb and he was _still_ sexually frustrated...curse his hormones.

The familiar voice outside his door was his only warning and he just manged to put a stapler on his stack of papers before the door blew open and the object of his affections entered. "I brought coffee!"

There was something about Tyson wearing his shirt that was erotic. Pushing away those thoughts he accepted the coffee and blueberry bagel as his rival took a seat. "I thought you were going to study with the chief?"

"He got put on cleaning duty, so we're meeting up later." Tyson said as he took a bite of his bagel.

"And you had no one else to annoy?" asked Kai, folding his arms, giving a wry smile.

"Someone has to make sure you don't work yourself to death." Brown eyes looked over to the hefty stack of papers. "Which is exactly what you're doing."

"Hn." Kai's mind wandered back to the gutter. It would be so easy to push everything off the desk and take Tyson right here and now.

The ringing of the phone broke into his perverted thoughts and he answered, "Hiwatari."

"Sir, your technical team would like to set-up a meeting with you about your request." came his secretary's voice.

"Arrange it for tomorrow Kaguchi. I'm done for today."

"Very well, sir. I'll set it up right after your meeting with the Prime Minister." _Shit! He had completely forgotten about that._

"What time is the meeting?"

"9:00am."

"Okay." he disconnected the call. This was one of the times that made him incredibly grateful for his very high standards of clean. He grabbed a file from his left-side drawer and checked it for any special accommodations for his special guest. "We're leaving." He clicked his tongue and the white kitten removed himself from the spot she had been sleeping on Kai's office couch and trotted over. Kai picked up the tiny kitten and placed the feline on his shoulder. Tyson followed the CEO out and watched as he placed a file on his secretary's desk. "Follow this accommodation list for the Prime Minister _exactly_. I will be in early to make sure everything is in order."

"Yes sir!"

Tyson's eyes bugged out of his head. "You're meeting the Prime Minister tomorrow?!" he screeched.

"Yes, which is why you're going to leave me alone tomorrow."

"Awww! Fine, but you gotta give me the juicy details!" insisted the bluenette as they walked down the hallway to the elevator.

"Kinomiya, anything he tells me will automatically be top-secret and you can't keep your mouth shut to save your life!"

"I can so! I haven't told anyone that Max is in love with Ray!...Oops." he blushed and the Russian raised an eyebrow.

"He told you that?" he asked crossing his arms and leaned up against the elevator wall.

"Only after we got drunk!" he clamped a hand over his mouth, realizing what he said and exactly _whom_ he said it to. "Um...I mean...um..."

"I don't care what you do with your spare time, Kinomiya. Just don't show up to a match wasted or I **will** make you regret it."

Tyson looked at Kai flabbergasted. "Y-You're not gonna tell Gramps?"

"None of my business." the elevator doors opened and the duo stepped out.

"Wow, for once you're not being a party pooper...one time you wanna come?"

Kai gave his friend a sideways glance. "I don't drink."

"But...you're Russian!"

"I really rather not put my liver through hell."

Tyson shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"How did you even get goody-two-shoes to drink?" Max was a Momma's boy through and through. The American boy hated breaking the rules and did almost anything to avoid doing so.

"We were talking about how some of his American friends made fake ID's to buy booze and I found one of Hiro's old ID's and we decided to try it for shits and giggles. Low and behold, the guy actually fell for it and let us buy some. So Maxie and I got wasted."

"Hn. What an idiot. You and Hiro look nothing alike."

"Hmm, well I think we do a little. We got the same eyes, pretty sure they're my mom's eyes."

Kai paused and looked at the younger with concern. "You...okay?"

Tyson turned, instantly his mega-Wyatt smile was back on his face. "Yeah! C'mon, let's head back to your place, I can't wait to see the kittens again!"

As Tyson ran towards the vehicle, Kai thought ' _No, your eyes are much different than Hiro's, Tyson. While his eyes are cold and calculating, void of most emotions, yours are warm and reflect the depths of your heart.'_ He got in the Lamborghini, snuck one last glance at his passenger and sped off towards his flat.

Tyson spent the majority of the visit playing with the now 6 week old kittens, marveling at their growth, while Kai replenished their food and water, changed the litter box and introduced the small white kitten, who had refused to leave his side, to Meko. She immediately accepted the baby as one of her own, much to Kai's relief. Soon Tyson received a text from Kenny, saying that he was leaving the school and Kai offered the bluenette a ride home.

When they arrived at the Kinomiya residence, the boy-genius was already there and Tyson muttered how finals were only a cruel torture devised by demonic teachers who hated kids. Kai decided to keep his promise and help the younger study, if only to spend that much more time with him.

As it turned out, Tyson actually had a good grasp of the concepts and material. Any math that they could put in blading terminology, the bluenette just whizzed through. Proving the fact that Tyson wasn't actually stupid, as many believed, just highly unmotivated and the King of Procrastination.

When it came to social and science, Kai had revealed one of his own cheats to getting good grades; Study the definitions. Kenny realized that the method was brilliant when he saw how words connected together and when Tyson realized he didn't have to memorize the entire textbook, he was completely on board.

When Tyson's brother came into the room to check on their progress, Kai didn't waste the opportunity to piss off the ex-BEGA coach and casually leaned closer to Tyson, showing how two different words were connected, all the while sending Hiro a victorious smirk. Hiro glared in disapproval, before quickly leaving.

Kai had no idea why the man had such a problem with him, but it was fun getting him riled up. Hiro would just have to learn to deal with having him around, because he had no intentions on leaving anytime soon.

When sundown came, it was time for the dual-haired man to go home – his first night away from Tyson in over 2 weeks. Tyson bade him farewell and the rival shared a glance and a smile, knowing that Kai would return soon.

* * *

The following morning at 6:00am, Kai arrived at Hiwatari Enterprises in his best suit to ensure absolutely everything was read for his prestigious guest. The 18-year old had slept surprisingly well, but he hadn't exactly been alone – all 10 of his cats had climbed into his bed with him. Double-checking to make sure his presentation was ready to go, and making sure his staff were absolutely clear on their positions, it wasn't long before President Akira entered the building.

Kai was there to greet him, his fake image that his grandfather had beat into him at the forefront. Kai hated ass-kissing, pleasantries and the like, but this wasn't blading. He couldn't get away being the rouge wild card now.

Kai gave a low, respectful bow. "Prime Minister Akira, I am very honoured by your presence. How is your wife?"

"She is doing wonderfully, Mr. Hiwatari. I heard that you have had quite a bit of trouble with your company."

"There were a few insubordinates, but they have been taken care of. I trust that you'll want to see a demonstration of our new product?" he asked, leading the Prime Minister to the elevator that would take them down to the labs.

"Of course." The men got on the elevator and the Prime Minister eyed the teenager. "I heard that it was your Grandfather's lawyer that tried to take over the board. Very impressive that you managed to keep control and exploit his wrong-doings, at so young. Voltaire taught you well."

Kai really wanted to tell the old man to mind his own fucking business, instead he said, "Thank-you, Prime Minister." The elevator doors opened. "I'm sure you have seen all of this before, so let's just cut to the chase." he snapped his fingers and the lights dimmed, slowly a podium arised from the ground and a spotlight illuminated it. "This is an energy absorbing, versatile, light-weight, plasma shield that we've created."

A product-tester came out into the light and grabbed the small, black cylindrical object and activated it, transforming it into a thin, glowing purple shield that seemed to be made out of light. "It can withstand flame."

The person quickly shield himself from a flamethrower.

"Bullets."

The shield reflected dozens of bullets, which ricocheted in random directions.

"Laser Beams."

Laser beams were absorbed into the shield.

"Physical force."

A car came flying into the room, and the tester quickly enlarged the shield and adjusted it so it was free-standing and the vehicle crashed against it like it was a wall, being completely totalled.

"And of course, explosives." Several grenades were thrown and the tester turned the shield into a sphere. When the dust had settled, the man was unharmed. He closed the shield and put it into his utility belt.

"Any questions?"

The Prime Minister clapped his hands. "Well done, Mr. Hiwatari! This technology is revolutionary!" A sly look came across his face. "But how would it fair against a bitbeast?"

His heartbeat quickened and he tried to control the rage that flooded his veins. "Bitbeasts are not used for war, so I don't see how that question is relevant.

"Your Grandfather seemed to think he could take over the world with them, what if another country got the same idea?"

Kai smirked. "You seem to forget that the plan was foiled by a small group of children, so how great of a plan was it?"

"Children who also had powerful bitbeasts. Tell me Hiwatari, where can I obtain one?"

Ok, he officially didn't care who this guy was now. "Bitbeasts cannot be obtained or made. They chose their wielders."

"So I'm supposed to watch as my country is threatened again and again by these beings and do nothing?!" he shouted.

Unfazed, Kai crossed his arms. "Look. Bitbeasts attacking Japan should be the least of your concerns. There are certain individuals who see to that already."

"Well what if I outlaw beyblading!" threatened the official.

"Ha. Beybladers would only start beyblading in secret or move to a different country. So how about you quit wasting my time; Are you buying the product or not?"

"I will on one condition: I want to meet the World Champion. I understand he is an acquaintance of yours, so it should be no problem for you, correct?"

"Hn, and why do you want to meet him?"

"So I can hear from him that as a Japanese citizen, he will protect this country from those creatures."

Kai rolled his eyes, this guy was acting like a 5 year old. "Fine. 5:00 tomorrow evening."

"Why so late?"

"Because he has school."

"The fate of my country rests on a student?!"

Kai sweat dropped. Seriously? Did this guy have any clue who Tyson Kinomiya was?

* * *

So I ended up combining 2 chapters to create this piece for you. Hope you enjoyed! Please drop me a review letting me know what you think! This story isn't close to being done yet, so if you have any suggestions or anything you want to see, leave it in a review and I'll PM you!


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own anything nor make any profit off this fanfic, Takao Aoki still sadly owns Beyblade.

So once again a thank-you to Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, adbhut and Angel Devastation for the lovely reviews. *** sweat drops*** I think I may have lost a few people... For those have you who are still reading this story, thank-you! I check the views constantly and there's about 50 of you who have been loyal readers. So even though you don't say anything, yes, I see you and I appreciate you! COOKIES FOR EVERYONE!

WARNINGS: Lemon-y Goodness this chapter, which means explicit sexual scene. I will put a warning before the lemon, so you know when it's no longer safe to read. After re-reading it, it's a pretty hard lemon guys!

So enjoy the 18th chapter of Beyblade. For those of you who want to know how much I have pre-written...I'm currently writing chapter 40 and I'm estimating this fic will be about 60-80 chapters long.

* * *

"W-wait, so the Prime Minister wants to meet me?" asked Tyson dumbfounded, pointing to himself. It was 7:00pm and they were all at the Kinomiya residence, Tyson and Kenny had been studying before Kai strutted in and broke the news. "Wow! That is so awesome!" he started leaping and cheering wildly around the dojo.

"Don't you even want to know why?"

Tyson paused and blinked. "Now that you mention it...yeah."

Kai leaned up against the wall and folded his arms over his broad chest. "It appears that the old geezer has suddenly taken an interest in bitbeasts and wants your word that you will protect Japan."

Tyson sweat dropped. "This guys has no idea how many times we've saved the world, does he?"

"Bastard didn't even know that you were a student."

"Well tomorrow I'll make sure he knows _exactly_ who I am!" the bluenette said beating his chest. Kai rolled his eyes, the World Champion was modest as ever.

"Well Tyson, I'm happy for you!" spoke up Kenny, "But we really need to get back to science formulas."

"Oh man, how can I concentrate on school work if I'm meeting the Prime Minister tomorrow?!" Tyson shouted, pulling at his hair.

The brunette looked over to their former captain for help, horrified when the man pulled out his blade from his pocket. "KAI!"

Ignoring the boy, Kai asked, "Need to blow off some steam?"

In a flash Tyson was outside ready to launch his blade and Kai followed suit. Kenny just sighed and dragged out his laptop, hoping to work on the interior designs of the new stadium, praying that the duo would keep the damage down to a minimum, as the shockwaves of their blades clashing shook the Earth.

* * *

Class was pure torture for Tyson as the day dragged on, his eyes glaring at the seemingly motionless clock hands, silently urging them to move faster. When that proved fruitless, he used Dragoon's powers to blow papers away slightly from students and the teacher as a desperate attempt to amuse himself.

He would text Max, but it was after midnight in New York and the American was more than likely sleeping. He looked through his contacts: Kenny was stuck in hell with him, Kai would probably yell at him for texting, if he didn't just outright ignore it. Gramps and Hiro would both give him a lecture and everyone else was scattered around the world and probably would tell him off for not paying attention in class. Which left...the Blitzkrieg Boys. Eh...why not? They were all friends...right?

He tapped on Tala's name and typed. / _Hey dude, s'up?/_

To his surprise the response was instantaneous. / _Tyson? What do you want?/_

/ _Just checking in, dude./_

 _/I see. Is Kai driving you up a wall?/_

/ _Actually, for once, no! Shocking isn't it? The sourpuss actually arranged for me to meet with the Prime Minister of Japan today!_ /

Half a world away Tala spit out his coffee. Kai arranged a meeting with the Prime Minister, and with Tyson of all people? He knew that the Hiwatari had a meeting with a government official yesterday about the Plasma Shield, but he hadn't said anything more than that. Maybe Tyson could tell him what exactly was going on. _/Interesting. Why did the Ice Prince do that?/_

/ _Something about how the Prime Minister wanted me to assure him that I was going to protect the country from evil bitbeasts. Like, Hell-lo! What have I been doing the last 5 years of my life?/_

Tala had to chuckle before he started piecing together was was going on. Obviously the Prime Minister had found out about bitbeasts. Maybe he had suggested a bitbeast army or having his own that just pissed off Kai. Perhaps Mr. Anti-Social was relying on one of Tyson's 'friendship speeches' to make the old man change his mind?

Well, if that was the case, it was a good strategy. Tyson had a way of worming into people's hearts, which, coincidentally was the only reason he was giving the teenager the time of day now. _/Someone obviously hasn't done their homework. Just give him one of your mushy "I love beyblading" monologues. You'll be fine./_

/ _/...I can't tell if that was sarcasm..._ /

 _/That's Kai's Department._ /

/ _Hahahahaha! So true!_ /

As a smile crept on to the red-head's lips, he realized that he didn't mind talking to the enthusiastic boy in the slightest. It was easy to see how Kai had fallen so hard. His phone lit up once more. / _Bell rang for the end of class and Kai is picking me up for the meeting, wish me luck and TTYL!/_

/ _Good luck_./

Tala resisted the urge to call the Ice Prince and tease him mercilessly about needing Tyson's help. Instead he just put his feet on his desk and closed his eyes, quite liking the fact he wasn't being kept in the dark anymore and only hearing about the activities in Japan when Kai deemed them important enough or when he read them in the paper.

A pair of warm lips brought him back to reality. "Better not let anyone catch you dozing off." Came the voice he'd know anywhere. The Russian captain kept his eyes shut and pulled Bryan down for another kiss.

"I was reflecting. Tyson text me, now we can keep tabs on Kai."

* * *

 **I INTERRUPT THIS STORY TO BRING YOU A LEMON! IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO READ, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. THIS LEMON CONTINUES ON FOR THE REST OF THE CHAPTER.**

* * *

"Well that's convenient." Bryan kissed his lips again then moved to a particularly sensitive spot on the older Russian's neck, making Tala's breath hitch. Satisfied with the reaction, the silver-haired male then moved under the vice-president's desk and started undoing the other's dress pants.

"Bryan, someone could walk in at any second!" hissed Tala.

"Then you better not make too much noise if they do." less than a second later, Bryan had Tala fully engulfed in his mouth.

Oh! The wet heat was gloriously maddening! The way Bryan's tongue twirled expertly around his length sent waves of pleasure throughout his body, His fingers dove into silvery locks and he struggled not to buck his hips and force his cock further down his lover's throat.

But fate decided to be cruel to Tala as his 9:00am meeting finally showed up. "So sorry that we're late Mr. Ivanov!" said a balding, middle-aged man that Tala knew as Viktor Tarenov, along with 2 other assistants. "Traffic was a nightmare!"

Tala looked helplessly at the sexy man below him, violet eyes pleading him to stop, but Bryan only smirked and sucked harder, making Tala bite his lip. He was entirely on his own. Using his abbey training, he tried to block out the pleasure as he said, "Best to get started then. Tell me about your product." his voice was shakier than he intended, but Tarenov didn't notice as he struggled to find his papers. An action that Tala would normally disapprove of, but as Bryan worked his shaft he found himself not caring.

Soon the men were droning on about some kind of weapon and Tala's attention shifted back to his lover and the pleasure he was giving him, in which the masochist responded by deep-throating his member. Tala's hand clung onto the armrest of his chair as pure pleasure took over. But when Bryan hummed, Tala lost control and shoved his head all the way down, so his nose was pressed up against the red pubic hairs on his pelvis, as he came undone and released his seed down Bryan's throat.

An action which only looked like a flinch to those presenting, had they been paying any attention to him.

But Bryan wasn't done. He slid down Tala's pants lower, kissing and licking milky legs and thighs soundlessly. Tala relaxed into the soothing, loving touches, wishing that his guests would wrap it up already. Despite everything, he got the just of it. It was a sword that's sheathe could turn into a hand gun. Interesting idea, but strange enough that he wanted Kai's opinion before investing.

Just as Bryan's patience was waning, Tarenov asked, "So what do you think Mr. Ivanov?"

Like the cheeky fucker that he was, Bryan started stroking his shaft. "It's a unique idea. I will be talking to Mr. Hiwatari himself about approval."

Tala had might as well as told the man he won a million dollars as his face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Thank-you so much for the opportunity Mr. Ivanov!"

Tala waved his hand in dismissal and the men left, shutting the door behind them. The vice-president then looked down at a very innocent-looking Bryan. "Go lock the door. I am yours for the next hour and a half, then I have a meeting at 1."

All too eager, Bryan did what was asked of him, but when he turned around, his mouth went dry. Tala was sitting on his desk, completely undressed. Long, creamy, hairless legs spread open as Tala licked a single finger and slid it into his puckered asshole, moaning softly.

Bryan grabbed the blacked director's chair and wheeled it to the other side of the desk. He sat down and pulled out his hard cock and started stroking himself as he watched his beautiful lover put his pleasure on full display. He watched, mesmerized as the finger went in and out, slightly deeper each time. Licking his lips, he gently removed the finger and spread the pale cheeks and licked the hole.

Tala moaned loudly and writhed in pleasure as his most private spot was coated in saliva. He slid his ass closer to feel more, eyes shooting open when that skilled tongue slid inside him. "Bryan." he breathed.

Said man continued his ministrations, looking up and loving his partner's flushed cheeks, open mouth and glassy, lust-filled eyes. Oh his Tala was perfect. Cautiously he inserted one finger, which Tala's ass seemed to devour, then added another and made a scissoring motion. The red-head squirmed at the intrusion, before suddenly moaning loudly. He bucked his hips and the fingers slid deeper. "Hehehehe, impatient are we?" He removed he digits.

"Just hurr- OH!" Tala moaned in pleasure as his prostate was hit dead-on.

Bryan didn't wait for his lover to adjust, consumed by the blissful, tight heat that was pulling him further in, Bryan pulled out and slammed back in, rocking the desk with his thrust. Pleasure took over and over and guided their bodies into a fast rhythm and made them both go insane. All too soon, Bryan could feel himself on the edge, and he grabbed Tala's cock and stroked it time with their movements. Tala screamed and came violently, his muscles clenching, sending Bryan to his own completion.

They lay atop the desk, papers skewed around the room, forgotten as the clenched onto one another as they came out of euphoria. "Bryan, that was insane!"

"Heh, the sex or sucking you off?"

"Both." Tala pulled him forward for a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I gotta get back to work Falcon."

Blue eyes darted to the clock on the wall. "It's only 12:15. You're mine for the next 30 minutes." He started kissing his boyfriend again, and soon their moans resonated through the room once more.

* * *

Yeah...I have absolutely zero regrets writing this. Let me know what you thought by clicking on the review button :) _  
_


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ideas in my head.

So back for another chapter! Came home, passed out for 4 hours with my munchkin, woke up at 8:30. So now she's watching Caillou and I'm trying desperately to ignore it. Hardest part about parenting, is all the mind-numbing kid shows... Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, adbhut, Angel Devastation and chibiduo, thank-you are for all the kind reviews! You guys keep me going!

WARNINGS: Gets pretty steamy at the end of this chapter...you're welcome.

* * *

Kai was acutely aware of the attention he was receiving being parked outside Tyson's school. Class had been let out 10 minutes ago and several students were eyeing him and his expensive car curiously. Tapping the steering wheel impatiently, ruby eyes searched through the crowd of people for the happy-go-lucky teen. Soon enough Tyson emerged from the school doors and ran to his vehicle. "Sorry, teacher tried to put me on cleaning duty, but Hilary bailed me out. Class was like slow torture today!"

"Hn." The time was 3:30pm, the meeting wasn't until 5:00pm anyways. He pulled away from the curb and drove into traffic.

A low growl resonated throughout the car. "Can we stop for food?" whined Tyson.

"Whatever." Kai acted annoyed, but it was his plan all along, 5 years of friendship had taught him Tyson's stomach was never to be ignored, that, and his head was pounding. He needed his 4pm caffeine fix that Tyson had got him accustomed to. He pulled up to a local coffee shop and a waitress sat them down at a table. Tyson politely took off his hat once they were seated, and Kai had to stop himself from staring...with his hair down Tyson looked just looked so much cuter and more innocent. When the waitress returned with menus, he quickly pretended to look like he was trying to figure out what he was going to eat, all the while sneaking glances.

He heard giggling beside them, and his attention turned to the group of girls who were quite obviously checking Tyson out. He narrowed his eyes and proceeded to glare them down, unbeknownst to him, Tyson was doing the same thing. Their identical icy glares were enough to make the girls change to a table on the other side of the restaurant, and both of them hid their smirks of satisfaction behind their menus.

Soon their waitress returned. "Can I take your orders?" she asked politely.

"I'll have grapefruit juice and I'll try your dedicate chocolate, cherry delight and strawberry cheesecake." the waitress wrote down the order and looked at Kai.

"Strawberry cheesecake with and mint chocolate ice coffee." he said dismissively.

"Alright, I'll be back with your orders gentlemen."

"So any tips for when I meet the Prime Minister?"

The older lifted an eyebrow. "Are you actually worried?"

"No!" Tyson folded his arms, "I'm the World Champ! What do I gotta be afraid of? It's just..." he looked down, "What if something happens and I can't stop it?" his voice dropped to just above a whisper. "I was barely able to reach Brooklyn, the little kid who just wanted a friend. That battle was so intense. What if someone more talented than Brooklyn comes along and they're worse than Boris?"

Kai sighed. Why Tyson tried to save the world by himself, he will never know. "The only thing that matters here is that you would've tried your damnedest. If a blader like that ever came along, we would just mop the floor with him or die trying."

"Heh, suppose you're right. Thanks Kai." he smiled brightly and Kai's heart beat faster.

"Hn. Someone has to talk sense into you."

The waitress arrived with their drinks and desserts and Tyson immediately returned to his cheery self with the first bite.

* * *

Kai brought Tyson to a small circular room, with a small coffee table in the centre where the Prime Minister was waiting.

"Hello Mr. Prime Minister, sir. I understand that you requested for me?" asked Tyson, giving a respectful low bow.

"Ah, Mr. Kinomiya. Yes, I was hoping to talk to you about this country's national security. Please, take a seat." The both sat down at the table, while Kai just leaned up against one of the walls, watching silently with sharp eyes. "Tea? Juice? I'm sure Mr. Hiwatari could fetch you something."

Kai's eyebrow twitched in irritation. He wasn't anyone's butler.

Tyson glanced at Kai cautiously. Nobody told Kai Hiwatari what to do, didn't matter if it was the fucking Queen of England. He could totally seeing the moody male looking them in the eye and calmly telling them to go fuck themselves. "Um, I just ate. So what can I help you with?"

"How can I obtain a bitbeast?"

Tyson sighed. "I don't know. All of ours just chose us. And even if you did somehow obtain one, there's no guarantee that it will obey you."

"So how can I defend my country from them?"

"You just leave that to me! As the World Champion and owner of one of the world's most powerful bitbeasts, it's up to me to not only defend Japan, but the entire world."

"My, my. You seem quite passionate. Would you agree to a demonstration?"

"Sure."

The Prime Minister snapped his fingers and men in black stepped out from the shadows. "I hope you don't mind Mr. Hiwatari, but while you were gone, I invited some of my men. One hundred of my own bladers! None of them have a bitbeast of course, I want to see how they fair against our fearless World Champion."

Kai was livid. "This is an assault, not a demonstration!"

"By all means join him Mr. Hiwatari."

Just as he was about to pull out his blade, Tyson's voice stopped him. "Heh. I was itching for a good fight." he watched the boy rub his nose and ready his blade. His posture radiated confidence, but it was the determined fire in his eyes that made Kai relax completely. He knew that look, it meant Tyson was ready to lay it all out on the line, there was no holding back. Tyson was going to win.

"Watch carefully Akira, you're about to see why he is a chosen one."

Tyson started the countdown. "3...2...1! LET IT RIP!"

Dozens of black blades were released and beyblades bounced and spun all over the room, surrounding Dragoon and Tyson, but before any of them made contact, Tyson unleashed his attack. "Turbo-Galaxy TWISTER!"

One third of the blades were blown away, some of them knocking out other blades due to the hurricane force winds and the Great Blue Dragon revealed itself.

"Is that a bitbeast?!" the Prime Minister yelled over the wind.

"Go DRAGOON!" shouted Tyson, his blade picked up speed and circled around the room, taking down all other blades in its path, tearing them to pieces, until Dragoon was the last blade spinning in the room. "How was that?" asked the teenager.

"Hahahahaha! Excellent!" commended the Prime Minister, before his face turned into a dark sneer. "Again."

"Wha-" Tyson looked around the room helplessly as the men released more blades. He and Dragoon jumped out of the way before they were hit and a new battle began. Tyson and Dragoon combined their powers and released an even larger tornado. When the dust settled, Dragoon was left spinning, but Tyson's clothes were torn and he was panting heavily. He sent a challenging glare at the Prime Minister. "Is...that...all...you've got?"

Akira grinned. "Not even close. Again men!" The men reloaded their launchers and once again Tyson and Dragoon were in the centre of the chaos.

Kai watched as blade cut open Tyson's cheek- They were going to send him to the hospital at this rate! "Enough Akira!"

"But we need to see the full limits of his power." the official said, grinning manically.

Everything in the room suddenly came to a stop. The blades stopped spinning. The winds died. A pin drop could be heard as Kai had loaded his launcher and aimed it at the Prime Minister's throat. "What are you doing Hiwatari?"

The Russian's voice was low, so no one but Akira could hear. "Kinomiya may put himself in front of a thousand blades to save the world, but I would put myself in front of a thousand blades just to save him."

"You're making a mistake Hiwatari! I can ruin you!"

"Ha! Don't make me laugh! My company supplies over half of your weapons." he glared. "Call. Off. Your. Bladers."

Everything was tense as the men glared each other down. The Prime Minister's features went soft and he broke into a genuine smile. "Ok, enough games. I think I can trust you both." the men in the room put away their launchers and Kai lowered his own and Tyson caught Dragoon and walked over to them.

"Mind games? What the hell is going on?" the baseball-capped teen demanded.

"Regarding the tournament Mr. Hiwatari is hosting, there is word that several known criminals are recruiting bladers to enter. Since one of these criminals was an employee of Hiwatari Enterprises, we were under suspicion that Hiwatari created the tournament to launch a terrorist attack."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Kai would never do something like that!" came Tyson's outburst.

"Which criminals?" asked the CEO calmly.

"Boris Balkov, Sierra Gideon, Jean-Paul Barthez and a woman known simply as Dr. K."

Kai and Tyson tensed. "Great. All of our enemies have joined forces."

"You know these people?"

"Yeah, and they don't like us very much." said Tyson.

"Well these people are wanted in several countries. I want them deported!"

"Do you really think that they will be dumb enough to show their faces?" snapped Kai, effectively silencing the Prime Minister.

"Sir, just leave this to us." said Tyson.

"But you are just kids!" protested Akira.

"You can work with Stanley Dickenson, Head Chairman of the BBA and one of the new directors of Hiwatari Enterprises, as the BBA handles all legal matters with this tournament." said Kai dismissively, turning on his heels and leaving the room, Tyson following closely, leaving the Prime Minister in a stunned silence.

* * *

As soon as they were in Kai's office, Tyson punched the nearest wall. "Arg! Won't those psychopaths give us a break?!"

"Screaming about it won't change anything." but on the inside Kai was seething just as much. Nothing would satisfy him more than watching the light leave Boris' eyes.

"So what are we supposed to do?! Sit and do nothing?" Tyson snapped, he and Kai looked at each other for a moment, expression unguarded, their eyes relaying all their inner thoughts and turmoils.

"You finish school, and then we train."

"Fine." The bluenette laid down on the couch, facing the ceiling. "Were you really going to launch Dranzer at him?"

"What I do is my business." he turned away.

The teenager sighed. "Yeah, yeah." Seconds later light snores could be heard and Kai's features softened. He battle had really worn him out. Glancing at the clock, Kai decided there was little point in dropping off Tyson or even going home for that matter (Tyson was too hard to wake and there was no way he'd risk his reputation as the cold, hard-ass boss, just to pick up the boy and carry him out his car), so his only option was to stay here. Remembering that Tyson liked to check-in with his grandfather, he took Tyson's phone (that unsurprisingly didn't have a password), found his grandfather's contact and typed: / _Staying at Kai's/_ . Just as he was about to turn off the phone, Tala's number caught his eye.

Looking through their exchange earlier in the day made a smile tug at his lips. Tyson sounded really happy, Somewhere deep inside for an inexplicable reason, Kai felt happy that Tyson felt like he could talk to Tala and Tala would talk back and give helpful advice, and not be the giant tool he could be. He slipped the phone back in Tyson's pocket and brushed back a lock of hair from Tyson's face.

He now had a dilemma. The couch wasn't big enough for both of them, but he did have a wall that folded out into a bed. Falling asleep on the couch or cuddling to share body heat was one thing, but picking up the boy and placing him into his bed was something else entirely. There was this invisible line between friendship and romance and the Russian had no idea where it was!

Deciding to be safe rather than sorry, the slate-hared man pulled out his secret bed and stripped himself to his black briefs and collapsed into the soft comforts of his mattress, sleep instantly taking over.

* * *

Tyson awoke hours later, and realized he was still in his friend's office. Seeing how dark it was, he panicked and pulled out his cell to text his grandfather, only to discover an unread message from him saying: _/No worries lil' dude, Kenny will hit the books with ya tomorrow!/_.

What the? Did he send a message before passing out? Why didn't Kai wake him up? Did he leave him here? He sat up and looked around the room in a panic, but there was just enough light from the street lamps outside to see a bed on the other side of the room with a bunch of matted up blankets and a bundle on the right side of it that he assumed was Kai.

He looked at the hard, uncomfortable couch that he had been sleeping on and at the luxurious bed. Making a quick decision, he tip-toed across the room and gently crawled into the soft bed, and pulled some of the covers to his side. However as soon as the blankets shifted off the slumbering form, Tyson found himself in the other's strong arms as the little spoon! He knew Kai was cuddly, but never realized how much so...Maybe the reason why Kai was always up so early is so no one found out and he could keep his reputation intact?

...sounded like Kai.

Whatever, Tyson didn't mind. He actually enjoyed the other's arms around him holding him close. He could definitely fall asleep like this, except what felt like Kai's knee was pressed up against his back. He tried shifting, but the Russian's iron-grip held him in place. Hoping to push the appendage away, he reach his arm around behind him. His eyes widened and his cheeks instantly went red. That was no knee.

* * *

 **Warning: Yeah...you should probably stop reading here...or not. It's your life, but things are gonna get a little steamy.**

* * *

Kai had a stiffy.

Ok, ok. _Breathe_. Totally normal. No big deal...

Except what had to be the hottest guy in the universe, his long-time crush, was pressing what he could tell, his very big, rock-hard cock against him.

Was he having a wet dream?!

The very possibility turned his breathing erratic, and his jeans uncomfortably tight. He bit his lips in concentration, trying to think about something else...anything else. But when Kai shifted so his boner was pressed right against his ass, Tyson abandoned all hope as his trousers suffocated him. Hesitantly he undid them, moaning in relief as his throbbing length was freed. Shimmying the pants the rest of the way down, he kicked them over the side of his bed and onto the floor. He shivered as his bare leg brushed against soft, warm flesh, sending electricity down his spine.

Was Kai wearing _anything_? He let his hand wander behind him, discovering that his former captain was only wearing a thin pair of briefs.

That just turned him on more.

Unable to take the pain, he firmly grasped his erection, like he had done countless times in the privacy of his own room and slowly moved his hand up and down.

It felt so wrong to do this in his friend's bed, yet strangely exhilarating, and the thrill of knowing he could be caught at any moment, just added to the eroticness. He sped up his tugging and thrusted his hips...backing right into Kai's cock.

 **Oh!** He clenched the sheets and bit back a moan as the member, separated only by a thin cloth pressed against his tight hole. Lust-filled eyes opened. This wasn't good, his body demanded more, yet if he went any further, he's be reverse-humping and basically rapping his best friend. Thinking quickly, he coated his first two fingers in saliva before sliding them into himself – his hand acting like a barrier and he grabbed himself again. More sparks shot up his spine and his fingers shifted. All he saw was white and he let out a silent scream as his back arched against his rival, as pure pleasure rocked his body, his seed shooting into his hand and over the white sheets. Sleep immediately claimed him seconds later.

It was only when he could hear soft snores did Kai start breathing again.

Tyson's moan of relief had awoken him and the next thing he knew he was bearing witness to the most beautiful, erotic scene any god could ever create.

The midnight-haired angel took off his pants and their bare legs brushed for a second, before a tanned hand moved up his thigh, up his side, then Tyson had pulled away and started stroking himself feverishly. And when he accidentally backed into him? Oh god- that had taken nearly all of his will-power not to just grab the boy and fuck him into the mattress.

Then the way Tyson desperately suckled and licked his fingers and came almost immediately after he inserted them into himself?

Breath-takingly exquisite.

Kai grunted as he came into his hand. Once he caught his breath, he rolled back over to his secret-love, inhaling the musky, stormy scent.

Had that really happened? Was he dreaming? If not...what did this mean?

* * *

The next morning he woke up early, showered in the attached washroom, but he couldn't bring himself to wake the boy, only to have him leave. Instead, he sent a text to Grandpa Kinomiya, saying that Tyson was sick and that he would care for him. Surprisingly the old man didn't even question it, but hinted that he wanted his grandson home the next day.

The CEO made his office off-limits, threatening instant-termination to anyone who so much as knocked on his door. He grabbed any papers that needed his signature directly from his secretary, and told him to bar all phone calls.

How he got to this point, he would never know. In the end, it could be simply put that loving Tyson was a natural as breathing and pretending that it didn't, hurt like a thousand knives to the heart.

Doesn't mean he was going to confess his feelings for the boy who had come out of the blue and turned his life upside down any time soon though.

* * *

I hope you guys know how much I love you. It's 5:30am and I've been fighting off sleep for the last hour and a half. I'm sorry if it's riddled with mistakes, I'll edit tomorrow, I swear.

Please send me a review on your thoughts of this chapter...and yes I know...I'm a dick...


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own laser shields, listening devices, Subway, any of the beyblade characters and even my own bra was given to me second-hand. I own nothing.

So wow, we've all made it here at chapter 20. I cannot say how much I love and appreciate all the support you guys have given me to finish this story and continue this story. To my reviewers Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, adbhut, Angel Devastation, chibiduo, miniJkitty and the anonymous review "Me"...thank-you so much!

Extra love to Little A Granger for helping me out with comebacks...seriously that woman is amazing.

Warnings: Perverted thoughts and blood...because nothing can be fluffy forever.

* * *

Tyson buried himself deeper in the soft sheets and warm mattress as the sun hit his face. He tried going back to sleep but after shifting positions several times he realized his endeavour was fruitless and at last opened his eyes. He blinked several times as he took in his surroundings. He was in an unfamiliar bed and in Kai's office? He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't having one of his sexual fantasies. Last night's events replayed in his mind...

Wait! Oh god no! Kai didn't catch him this morning with his dick out right?! He nervously looked down to see that 'Little Tyson' was hidden in his boxers, breathing a sigh of relief. Nothing like a mini-heart attack in the morning...He looked up to find the object of his desires boredly sifting through documents. He frowned, what time was it?

As if reading his mind, Kai said "It's past noon. You had a fever this morning."

"O-Oh. So I don't need to worry about school?" he asked excitedly.

"No."

"Alright!" he cheered, pumping his fist in the air, before giving his friend a sincere smile. "Thanks Kai."

"Hn."

Noticing there was dried flakes of cum still on his hand he made a beeline straight to the bathroom, what he found on the counter was dress pants and a blouse neatly folded with a note on top that read " _After you shower, change into these."_

Tyson sweat dropped. Did Kai stash clothes _**everywhere**_? He removed his battle-torn clothes and freed his hair from his ponytail, his long locks cascading down his shoulders and back and admired it in the mirror. It was just brushing the top of his butt crack now, no where near as long as Ray's, but still impressive. He stepped into the shower and blinked in confusion. There wasn't a shower head, tap or anything, seeing a button on the wall he pushed it and water splashed onto his body in all directions. He thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of the warm water completely covering every inch of his tanned skin before looking for the shampoo, and when he found it, he burst out laughing.

"L'Oreal because you're worth it, right Kai?" he hollered over the running water.

"If you don't like it, don't use it Kinomiya." Tyson could feel the eye roll from here.

"Never said I didn't!" he called back. As the shampoo bottle laid in his hand, he thought about how shiny and volumized Kai's hair was. There was also the fact how it took less than a year for the Dranzer-holder to grow out the back. With zero hesitation, he put a thick glob in his hand and lathered the mint-smelling soap, then rinsed his midnight locks. He grabbed the bar of Dove soap and washed his body then pressed the same button he did earlier, effectively shutting off the water. Quickly snatching one of the white fluffy towels from the towel rack, he began drying himself, then dressed himself in the clothes his friend had provided. Deciding to let his hair air-dry, he put his elastic around his wrist and stepped out from the washroom.

When Tyson emerged, Kai had to do a double take as his breath hitched. Hair loose and free, wearing an outfit that made the teenager look so much older, glamourous, gorgeous and breath-taking didn't even begin to describe Tyson right now.

His dick grew heavy as he discreetly looked the man over inch by inch. The pants revealed Tyson's long legs and perky, round ass, the blouse, albeit slightly too big, showed Tyson's lean body. Tyson looked like a model and all Kai wanted to do right now was have the boy ride him like there was no tomorrow.

...Keeping Tyson from school had been a very bad idea...

"Yeah, you can say it. I look hot." said Tyson striking a pose and flipping his hair in the same fashion that Kai would flip his scarf – _Modest as ever._

"Hn. Takes more than good looks to win a match."

"Heh, you would know all about that, wouldn't you?"

Kai didn't know where to put his face; on one hand Tyson had called him good-looking, on the other hand he totally dissed his blading skills...damn. "Accidental flattery doesn't defeat opponents, Tyson."

"Touché. Whatcha doing?"

"Making sure the Prime Minister's order of 1000 shields is finished."

Tyson growled. "Spoiled Jackass. Betcha he can't wipe his ass by himself."

"Heh, so do you think his assistant does it for him?"

"Dude, I'm saying he gets his assistant to wipe his ass, spoon feed him and brush his teeth."

Kai chuckled until he realized Tyson had a valid point. Akira couldn't come to the conclusion that bitbeasts were dangerous unless someone put the idea into his head. And with all the questions he was asking...

"Kai, something wrong?"

"Very."

"Um buddy, you're scaring me. The last time you had that look we booked it down the fire escape."

Kai paused. That wasn't a bad idea. He checked the time, it was nearly 1:00pm. "We're going for lunch."

Tyson nodded in understanding before shouting, "Alright! Food!"

* * *

The duo grabbed some Subway sandwiches then went to their spot by the river and sat on the grass and began eating. "Spill it."

Kai sighed. "I think one of our enemies has a person close to the Prime Minister."

"Alright, like who?"

"No idea. Boris has spies and contacts everywhere." he took a bite of his sandwich, loving the sweetness of the green peppers.

"Rats. So, what can we do?"

"Stay the hell away with him and keep our blades close." he said sternly, clutching Dranzer tightly in his hand.

"Too bad you can't just get the Chief to put listening devices into that shipment." Kai looked at the teen dumbfounded. "What?"

"Sometimes Kinomiya, smart things come out of your mouth."

"Heh, it's a gift." he watched the CEO get up and start walking back towards the car. "H-Hey! Where are you going?" the man said nothing, so Tyson wolfed down the rest of his sandwich and followed.

* * *

The pair climbed into the vehicle and belted up before Kai sped off, the Russian remained silent, so Tyson turned on the music and "Diamond Eyes" by Shinedown blasted through the speakers. It wasn't long before they arrived at Tyson's school. "Wait here." Kai instructed.

Tyson caught onto his plan. "How do you expect to get Kenny out of school?!" but Kai just slammed the door and disappeared into the building.

Minutes later hundreds of students poured out of the building, a few more minutes passed and Kai returned with the nerd hot on his heels.

"This guy is crazy!" exclaimed the brunette, breathless, as he climbed into the backseat of the vehicle.

"Well we knew that already." said Tyson confused. "No sane person wakes up at 6:00am to train."

"Yeah, but he pulled the freaking fire alarm!"

Tyson's eyes grew wide as saucers and he looked up at his crush with admiration. "No way! I've always wanted to do that!"

"Tyson!' chided Kenny. "There are laws against that!"

"Oh relax, bookworm." said Kai. "They'll suspect a student and I didn't grab you until after they did attendance."

"See Chief? Kai's got your back." grinned Tyson.

"Why did you grab me anyways? And where were you today Tyson?!" demanded the nerd.

"Um...well...you see..." The World Champion stuttered.

"We suspect the Prime Minister is being manipulated by one of Boris' goons and we want to plant a listening device into our shipment that is going out today." supplied the driver.

"Wow! Jeez, the Prime Minister is a bold move." thought the boy as he placed a hand under his chin in thought. "But I might have exactly what you need. I just need to get it from my place." Kai nodded and made a sharp left. When they pulled up to the Chief's Place the 16 year old quickly went in and came out less than a minute later, holding up a small, clear bag with several black devices within. "These are essentially smaller versions of the communication devices we've been using recently. After some tweaking they can double as listening devices. I just need an hour or so to make the modifications."

Kai checked the time, it was almost 2:30pm. "You have until 4:30." A thought occurred to him. "Kinomiya, you take the Chief up the fire escape, I'll let you in through the window."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it."

"Ugh. Fine."

Truth was he had no idea if the Prime Minister would come in and pick up the shipment himself. He didn't want anyone to know that Tyson or Kenny was in the building in case something went wrong, and taking down an army of 100-200 bladers was so not in his agenda.

When they pulled up to the building, Kai let his friends off in the back before packing and entered the building, quickly going up to his office, stopping only to talk to his secretary about new messages and upcoming meetings. Realizing that the bed was still out, he quickly folded it against the wall and stuffed Tyson's clothes into the cupboard under the sink, before letting in his friends.

Kenny went straight to work, taking over Kai's desk, he got out his tools and started working on the devices. The CEO left to attend a meeting with his technology department, while Tyson started on the homework Kenny had gotten him.

When 4:30 came around, Kai returned. "Are they done?"

"Yup. I've calibrated them to your system and they're designed to start transmitting you transcripts of what is being said the trigger words: Bitbeast, World Champion, Tyson, Kinomiya, Kai, Hiwatari, Kill, Destroy and Blade. When these transcripts come up and you actually want to hear the conversation, just hit 'Enter' and it will start recording them for you."

"Hn. Convenient." he turned to Tyson. "We're going to need a distraction."

"Why? Can't you just order everyone out of the shipping area?"

Kai glared.

"Alright, fine. Just don't see what the problem is, considering how much you love ordering us around."

 _You guys won't stab me in the back when I'm not looking._ Kai thought bitterly. "Consider it a random security test."

Tyson crossed his arms. "Whatever."

* * *

Soon the trio were down in shipping, Tyson was decked out in black and eyed the face mask warily. "Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?"

"Told you, it's a security check."

"So what happens if I get caught?"

"Simple: Don't."

"Kai!"

Done with the arguing, Kai quickly shoved Tyson's head into the mask and shoved him out of the crate they were hiding behind and out into the open. The reaction was immediate.

"Stop! Thief!"

Tyson froze. "Uh oh!" he ran as 30 men chased after him. Kai watched with amusement as their target was left completely unprotected. While the guards were busy chasing down Tyson, Kai pried open the crate and Kenny dumped in the listening devices. Kai raised an eyebrow in question.

"They're magnetic." explained the boy grabbing the last one and stick it on one of the nail heads on the crate. The miniscule device was nearly undetectable.

"Perfect." Kai looked up to see Tyson dodging laser beams and stun guns while running as fast as he could. Kai waited a few more minutes and Tyson started running towards them. Kai grabbed one of the shields and stood out in the middle of the room, snagging Tyson by the collar and shoving him behind him, he opened the shield just as a barrage of bullets and lasers assaulted them. "MEN STAND DOWN!"

Recognizing their leader's voice all the guards lowered their weapons. Some of them trembling in fear at the clear look of disapproval written on his face, as he deactivated the shield and stood firm. "This was a drill- One that you all failed." Kai saw the looks of horror on their faces and tried not to smirk at their discomfort. "You have a maximum of 2 minutes to get your thief and protect the cargo. You did neither and **all** of you idiots chased after this bastard, leaving me free to steal one of our products. Starting tomorrow you will all be attending more training sessions, paying special attention to teamwork and strategy. Drills will now be conducted randomly several times a month." Grateful that their sentence wasn't worse, they rapidly nodded their heads in agreement. "Clean this up and go back to work." At once the men all started tidying the room.

"You might want to work on their aim too...their accuracy is worse than a storm-troopers, lucky for me." chuckled Tyson.

Kai gave an amused smile, which was quickly replaced with a worried frown. "You're bleeding."

"What?" Tyson looked down at himself and noticed that their was blood seeping from underneath his shirt. The pain hit him like a ton of bricks as he clutched his left side. "J-Just a scratch Kai." he smile weakly, stepping backward, trying to hide the wound.

"Right and I'm the tooth fairy."

"It's nothing!" But the Russian was hearing none of it.

"You have two choices Kinomiya, show me here, or show me in my office."

Tyson sighed. There was no way he was getting out of this one. "Office...not in front of Kenny." he whispered.

Concerned crimson eyes narrowed. The more Tyson hid his injuries, the worse they were more likely to be. Seeing that Kenny was busy admiring one of the shields, he nudged Tyson towards the elevator and they both walked over and entered. As soon as the doors shut, Tyson's mask faltered. He leaned up against the wall and his hand clutched his side. Kai's gaze dropped to the floor and he blanched. There were large droplets of blood. "Tyson!" he breathed.

"Just let me walk to your office." huffed the injured teen. "I kept my promise not to interfere with you and Brooklyn." he added.

Damn, Tyson's display of sheer badassery turned him on so bad. "Yeah, but this isn't a beybattle." He walked over to Tyson and picked him up bridal style.

"Hey! Wait!" protested the younger.

"Shut-up Kinomiya." he smiled softly when Tyson sighed and leaned into his chest.

"I knew it. You love being a hero as much as I do."

 _Only when it comes to you._

* * *

So there it is. Once again, I'll edit later...

Please keep Paris in your prayers and all the people suffering in the world. Make sure you're kind, and don't let fear and panic blind you into treating people differently. We are all humans. We are all capable of love. Hugs to you all.

Review please!


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: If the lawyers were to sue me, they would end up with maybe $20 and a bottle of liquor.

So BIG news: This story has 100 reviews and approaching 2,800 views. Thank-you so much all of you! You guys are just the greatest! HibarixTsunaxlover, Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, adbhut, Angel Devastation, chibiduo and my anonymous reviewer "Me" (oh my gosh Me, you made me laugh so much yesterday) for all the love and support. Little A Granger was the lucky 100th reviewer so she will get a one-shot dedicated to her. If I'm lucky enough to have 200 reviews for this story, I will write the 200th reviewer any one-shot of their choosing.

Ok, now that I'm done bribing you all, on with the chapter!

Warnings: Blood. That's the only warning for this chapter...*reads it again* There's a lot of fluff in here...

* * *

When the elevator doors opened the area was surprisingly empty, welcoming the privacy Kai quickly entered his office and gently placed his patient on the couch and retrieved his medical kit from behind his desk, which was quite extensive since he didn't know his enemies would try to kill him.

Slowly he rolled up Tyson's shirt to reveal a 9" inch gash on his left side which was bleeding heavily, he studied the wound carefully. "I'm going to clean the wound and stitch it up."

"Can't you just use your magic tears instead?" questioned the injured boy.

"Unlike some people, I don't have the urge to cry every 5 minutes." his tone was gentle, "Ok, this will hurt like a bitch." he warned, Tyson gave a nod and braced himself, he then poured peroxide into the wound. Tyson hissed and his back arched off the couch, his knuckles turned white as his nails pressed deep into his skin, drawing blood.

 _ **The peroxide felt like someone had set fire to the wound.**_ "More along the lines of sting like a motherfucker." Tyson growled. "Couldn't you have given me some morphine or something?"

Kai held up two vials. "These are my last 2 doses and I still have to stitch you up."

Tyson sighed. "Fine. I'll wait."

Kai returned to tending the wound, delicately wiping off the blood. He felt like the biggest asshole as guilt gnawed at the pit that had formed in his stomach. This was his fault. He knew that his men were armed and well-trained. He had over-estimated Tyson's abilities. He spread a numbing agent to the area around the gash and with careful precision, started sewing the boy up. But the more he looked at the gash, the more he started feeling that something was horribly wrong. Then it dawned on him! This was a knife wound. His men didn't carry knives. "Tyson! I need you to think back, do you remember anything about getting stabbed?"

Furrowing his eyebrows in concentration, he slowly shook his head. "Sorry Kai. I honestly felt nothing until you pointed it out."

He bit his lip and quickly finished his stitches and gave Tyson a dose of morphine. He move to the other side of the room and pull out the hide-away bed and gently picked up the boy and placed him on the soft mattress. "Rest. Your body needs to heal."

"But Kai-"

"No buts Kinomiya. If you leave this room, I will make you run 20 laps everyday for a month!"

The patient shut his mouth and relaxed, while Kai checked the security feed to the time just before they walked in. He watched Tyson come out on-screen and he watched the men closely. He had to stifle a snort, Tyson was right, they did have aim like storm-troopers. He watched the silhouette of Tyson hide in-between some crates – when he saw it. Another silhouette was just around the corner of the crate. There was a flash of metal and Kai watched in agony as he saw the blade disappear into Tyson. His heart raced as his worst fears were confirmed. This was not one of his men.

Could the intruder still be there?

He fast-forward the video until he was seeing the live feed, and his heart stopped. Kenny was only about 10ft from the attacker!

He wanted to set off the alarm, but that might put Kenny into more danger or scare away his target. There was no was he could get down there fast enough either. He scanned the screen for something- anything that could help him. He saw one of his men only a few feet away, the number on his shoulder was 226. Kai quickly grabbed his walkie-talkie and called the man. "226, do you read me? Pick up 226!"

He watched on-screen as the man pulled out the communication device. "This is 226."

"This is your boss. There is an armed unknown behind a crate just a few feet in front of you. Your mission is to protect the boy with the glasses just beside you."

"Sir?"

"Don't waste time asking stupid questions!" he snapped.

He watched the man stiffen, before calmly walking over to Kenny. From Kenny's happy reaction, it seemed like the guard asked if he wanted to see some of their technology and slowly led him away from the danger, then grabbed his walkie and say something. Within seconds a dozen men had the crate surrounded.

Taking one last look at Tyson's slumbering form, the CEO left the office, making sure to lock the door behind him before running down the hallway.

* * *

By the time he made it to shipping, he found himself in the middle of a shoot-out.

He pressed himself against a wall as a bullet whizzed by his head. He looked up and saw Tyson's attacker fighting off 20 of his guards, all the while dodging a hail of bullets with an array of acrobatic stunts.

They needed to regain the upper hand.

He pulled out his Dranzer. "Let it rip!" The small blue blade headed straight for the assailant's head, when at the last possible moment, they suddenly launched their own purple blade, knocking Dranzer to the ground. Giving them enough time to escape from an open window near the ceiling.

His men followed but Kai knew it was pointless.

"Kai?" came Kenny's squeaky voice. _Damn, when were his balls going to drop?_ Thought Kai as he spun around to face his friend, 226 standing right behind him. "What just happened?"

That was an excellent question. Who was that person and what was their objective? "226, I need a complete inventory of all the items in this room. Also check the security tapes, but first have an escort take the kid home."

"Fine. I'll just wait for Tyson." he gasped. "Oh god, Tyson! He didn't get caught up in that, did he?!"

"Relax, he's in my office."

"Oh, okay. I'll just go home with him."

"He'll be staying here."

"Why?"

"Just drop it and go Chief." he turned on his heel and started towards the elevator.

Kenny finally registered Kai's blood-stained blouse. "Just what are you hiding Hiwatari?!" Kai froze. "Why can't I see Tyson?"

He stepped forward. "See you around Chief." he stepped the elevator, leaving behind a worried Kenny.

* * *

He returned to the 8th floor and made a beeline to his office, finally letting out a breath he didn't know he had been holding when he saw Tyson's slumbering form on his bed. He soundlessly went up to the shirtless boy and placed his hand over the bandaged area and it slowly found its way to Tyson's celestial hair.

Immense guilt weld up inside him. He was supposed to be the badass, tough as nails beyblader, the President of a powerful and influential military company! How could he keep that reputation when he couldn't even protect the one he loved the most?! Damn it all! He clenched his fist as a single tear made it's way down his cheek, landing on Tyson's arm.

Tyson's body glowed brightly and Kai lost consciousness.

* * *

When Tyson woke up, he was surprised to find himself completely pain-free. Either Kai had given him some pretty strong meds or...his eyes widened and he ripped off his dressings, unmarred fleshed greeted him. He quickly searched the room for his rival, his heart clenching when he found the man passes out on the floor beside the bed. "Kai!" He sprung out of bed and tried waking the Phoenix wielder. When he received no response, he lifted the man up and laid him down on the sheets.

He grimaced when he saw the amount of blood that was on his ex-captain's shirt. Worried that his friend was hurt, he ripped the shirt open. Seeing only milky-white, flawless skin he sighed in relief and collapsed onto the bed beside his rival.

"Buddy, if I ever accuse you of being a heartless jerk again, knock some sense into me." he said. Feeling somewhat lonely because of the silence, he rested his head on the Russian's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. He paused and realized how intimate this scene was; both of them on the same bed, basically shirtless. A blush crept up onto his cheeks. It would be bad if someone walked in on them now. Noticing the door was unlocked, he got up to lock it and when he returned to the bed, he noticed a patch of red near Kai's right shoulder that hadn't been there before.

Carefully he removed the blouse and rolled Kai onto his left side, revealing a 3" inch gash of what looked like burnt flesh, it was bleeding slighty.

...Was this from a _**bullet**_?

Grabbing the medical kit from the coffee table near the couch, he pulled out a gauze pad, some medical tape along with the peroxide. He got a cotton ball and poured the liquid onto it and gently cleaned the wound. Relieved that Kai didn't wake, he then grabbed the gauze and taped it over the wound. He admired his handiwork. "Might not be the way you would have done it, but it works."

He yawned, suddenly tired and cuddled with his former captain, the steady beating of his heart lulling him off to sleep.

* * *

When Kai woke up his head was killing him. He rubbed his temples and tried sitting up but a weight on his chest prevented him from doing so. He looked down to see a half-naked Tyson clutching him like a teddy bear.

What the hell?

Right, he had been blaming himself for Tyson getting hurt and - he felt along Tyson's side. The gauze was gone, his fingers were only met with soft, smooth skin.

So he had cried again...

He could hear his pre-teen self berating him for not keeping his emotions in check, his current-self didn't care though. Tyson was okay and that's all that mattered.

Judging from the light outside it was morning, he reached for his cell to check the time but gasped when his shoulder throbbed in pain. He could feel the bandage on his wound. Looking down at Tyson, he smiled softly. Tyson must've noticed and fixed him up. But that meant -

He couldn't heal himself. How ironic.

He sighed and finally noticed something else. Him and Tyson were both shirtless.

His pants grew tighter.

Finally pulling out his phone, he checked the time. 7:15am. Thank-god for his internal clock. He should probably wake up his bedmate before he got any more turned on.

"Kinomiya. C'mon, get your ass up."

"Mmmmph, 10 more minute grandpa." moaned the teen, clutching Kai closer.

Smiling at the adorableness for a second, the older grabbed the blankets and cast them across the room. Tyson only snuggled closer to continue leeching off his body heat.

"Tyson...breakfast is ready."

The boy didn't budge.

Kai tried squirming out of the boy's tight hold but his efforts proved fruitless.

"Kinomiya! Wake up!" he bellowed, but Tyson didn't so much as flinch.

Man, how did Gramps wake him up day after day? An idea came to him. "Practice Time!" he screeched.

Tyson continued to use him as a human teddy bear.

Acknowledging he was truly stuck, he texted the one person who might know how to get him out of this mess. _/Max, how do I wake up Tyson?/_

The response was instantaneous. _/So he's become immune to all the usual methods, huh? Have you tried telling him that breakfast is ready? LOL/_

/Yeah. No luck./

/Hmmm...well there was this one time he started cuddling me like a teddy bear, so I tickled him. It took a few minutes, but he was awake./

Kai thought back to when he tickled Tyson with his scarf. Was he really that ticklish? _/Thanks Max./_

/Anytime Kai. BTW, mom is doing the finishing touches on the glass. We should have it ready by the end of the month./

/Perfect./

He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and looked at the serene face of the sleeping dragon before he hesitantly started tickling Tyson's side. The boy responded by turning over, successfully pinning his good arm to the mattress.

Ignoring the pain, Kai started tickling Tyson with his free hand and the boy immediately started giggling, rolling over just enough so Kai could tickle his tickle assault with both hands.

"Ok! Ok! I give!" laughed Tyson as he opened his eyes, Kai's cocky smile greeting him.

"Good, because we're leaving."

"Ugh. School sucks. Can't I just stay here?" he pleaded.

"Yeah right, Gramps would skin me alive if I let you miss another day."

Crossing his arms, Tyson pouted, his eyes wondering to the bandage on Kai's shoulder. "You probably should get that checked-out by a doctor buddy. It's pretty wide."

So _that's_ why it was hurting like a motherfucker. "Hn."

"What happened?"

Knowing that Kenny would probably tell Tyson sooner or later, he decided to use the information as a bargaining chip. "Get ready and I'll tell you in the car." he remembered that Tyson's clothes were wrecked in the battle with the 100 bladers. He got out of the bed and went to his desk and pulled out a black t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. "Your other clothes are under the bathroom sink."

Tyson quickly scurried out the bed and into the washroom. Seeing his bloody blouse on the floor, Kai pulled out another back t-shirt and a pair of jeans from his bottom drawer and threw them on. Using a compact mirror, he painted on his shark-fins for that extra touch of bad ass.

When Tyson returned, he just gaped at his rival. He couldn't help it. Kai was sexy as fuck and he was convinced that the Russian could put on a garbage bag and still look ridiculously handsome.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." came Kai's retort.

"Sorry, first time that I've seen you dress normal. It's weird."

Kai chuckled. "Are you listening to yourself Kinomiya?"

"Yeah, yeah, gimme a break. It should be illegal to be up this early." he yawned for emphasis.

"C'mon, let's go." Together they left the office, Kai stopped to talk to his secretary and when he discovered he had no meetings scheduled, Kai informed him he was taking the day off and would be in on Monday.

As soon as they were alone in the elevator Tyson asked, "So does that mean you're going to get your shoulder checked out?"

"If I said yes, would you stop bugging me about it?"

"Yup, then I would find some other way to annoy you."

Kai smiled at Tyson. "Hn."

Once they got in the car and on the main road Tyson once more enquired about the injury. "Bullet grazed me after I went back into shipping. Someone snuck in, stabbed you, got into a fire fight with my men, then escaped."

Tyson looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh man. No wonder you're taking the day off. Do you know anything about them?"

"They're a blader."

"I see. Maybe they'll show up at the tournament?"

"Maybe."

"Wait, is Kenny okay?!"

"That shrimp is fine. One of my men escorted him home."

"That was nice of you."

"Hn." He pulled up in front of Tyson's school. Just as Tyson grabbed the door handle, Kai stopped him. "Before you go." he pulled out the communication devices Kenny had given to them. "Take this."

Tyson accepted. "You okay, Kai?"

"With freaks like that running around, you can't be to careful."

"Yeah." Smiling brightly Tyson popped it into his ear. "Thanks Kai! See you later!"

Once again Kai was left watching Tyson walk away, wishing their morning had never ended.

* * *

Well there we go! Only took me about 2 hours to type this chapter. I hope you guys can all see how Kai and Tyson are slowly getting closer. Sorry if the next chapter takes awhile...I apparently only get one day off now...I'll write like mad in my spare time, I swear! _ **  
**_


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my pen. Seriously. Even my writing binder and paper was given to me. Takao Aoki makes more money than I'll ever see in my life.

So welcome to this special double chapter of Borderline. Why so long? Because the next one is going to be short and I won't be updating for a week after that. Work has finally slowed down, but I have a number of one-shots that I want to post and I'm working on a new story, plus a special fic I'm working on for Christmas. So thank-you to those of you who reviewed the last chapter: Tyka's Flower, adbhut, Little A Granger, Angel Devastation and "Me" (Me, seriously, get an account so I can message you, I think we could be great friends!)

I hope you enjoy this super long chapter!

* * *

Kai returned to his apartment, and judging from the shredded curtains and several glares, the cats were thoroughly pissed at him for not being home for 2 days.

"Whatever fuzzballs, I didn't like them anyway." he sat down on the couch and all the kittens jumped up and started nuzzling him, each purring loudly when he gave them attention. He smiled at their antics. It was good to be home.

A painful throbbing in his shoulder reminded him that he still had business to take care of. He took off his shirt and went to the washroom, several of the kittens following him. Peeling off the gauze he revealed a bullet wound that went deeper than he first thought; he was going to need stitches and he had another scar to add to his collection. Tyson had done a pretty decent patch job though.

Pulling out his cellphone, he dialled a number he had dialled countless times. "This is Kai Hiwatari, put me through to Dr. Donetov."

Surprisingly, it was seconds later when he heard the warm voice of the doctor. "So, found another stray?" he chuckled.

"Yeah, a stray bullet."

There was nothing but silence for several long seconds. "How bad?"

"Just grazed."

"Alright, you caught me just as I was getting off shift, so I'm on my way." the line went dead leaving Kai to stare at his phone incredulously.

"Well that's a first." he changed the cat's water and litter box and looked around his apartment. Tyson had left little pieces of himself everywhere. A shirt in one corner, a pair of jeans behind the couch, several of his hair ties on the coffee table and bathroom counter. If one didn't know any better, they would swear that the pair lived together...not that Kai would mind. He eyed the full sink. Well...if Tyson would do dishes once in awhile.

He picked up the stray clothes and threw them into the wash, keeping a shirt to sleep with later. By the time he was finished tidying, there was a knock at the door. He opened it and let the doctor in.

At once the newcomer was bombarded by kittens. "Oh wow, they've sure gotten big!" he laughed as one clawed up his leg and sat on his shoulder. "Well hello there little one, what's your name?" he asked as he scratched the grey tabby's ear.

"Tyson named that one Takao. He's one of the twins we saved. Oddly, their personalities match."

Dimitri laughed. "Which one is his brother?"

Kai nodded to the one who had jumped up on the coffee table, who was glaring down the medic. "His name is Kei or "Lucky One". He's a grouch. Protects Takao from his siblings and doesn't like strangers." he said recalling one time when the little bastard destroyed Ray's hair wrap all because the Chinese man decided to give him a belly rub.

"Heh. Sounds like you."

Kai glared, matching Kei's glare perfectly.

The doctor sweat dropped. "Alrighty, let's see to that wound."

The Russian sat on the sofa, his back turned to the doctor, while Dimitri inspected the wound, Takao still perched on his shoulder. "Well, you're going to have a scar but there seems to be no significant damage, you'll be back to blading in no time. I'm going to give you stitches that dissolve in case something happens and I don't see you for awhile. Also some antibiotics to prevent infection. But for 2 weeks – no blading." he said the last part sternly so Kai knew he wasn't kidding.

"Fine." Tyson had to study for exams anyway. Takao sensed his depression and jumped into his lap and nuzzled his hand.

"Now hold still." Kai forced his muscles to relax as he felt a small pain and a slight burning before the area went numb. "There, feel anything?" Kai shook his head no, and the doctor went to work. "So heard you had a run-in with Boris."

"Something like that."

"Word is that he has it in for your little World Champion."

"Tell me something I don't know." Kai said with a bored tone.

"He's suckered in 4 powerful bladers. Apparently there's a few people who aren't happy that Tyson took out BEGA and crushed everyone's dreams of going pro. The believe if they take out Tyson, then they can restart BEGA."

"Idiots." he growled, "You really need to find your brother a hobby that doesn't include warping minds."

"Boris is my step-brother, thank-you." said the medic sharply. "And I've tried. Unfortunately every time, he somehow meets people just as despicable as him. He's a magnet for assholes."

"No shit. But he's going to be disappointed, if anyone's taking down Tyson, it's me."

"You boys have an interesting friendship. He helps you save and name your kittens, helps you regain control of your company, you both escape Boris, he practically lives here and yet you want to beat him into submission."

"...Who are you? Doctor House?"

"The beyblade boxers say it all really."

Kai whipped his head around to see two of the kittens playing with a pair of Tyson's underwear. "Breathe a word and you'll become a missing person." he threatened lowly.

Dimitri chuckled. "Your secret is safe with me."

* * *

Poking a sleepy Tyson's side for what had to be the 40th time, Kenny was about to give up. After Kai had dropped off his blue-haired friend he had interrogated him on what had happened to him with absolutely no results – Tyson just changed the topic every time! At least he appeared uninjured. Even though Kenny knew about Kai's healing powers, he still wanted to know why Kai had blood on his shirt. Ever since Kai had returned, Tyson tried to spend every spare minute with him and the genius was feeling a little left out. Tyson after all was the first real friend he had ever made, and even though he had never once left the bluenette's side, unlike the other people they considered friends, he always felt overlooked.

And being left out of the loop, _hurt._

But he still couldn't bring himself to blame his friend. He knew years ago that Tyson had fallen for Kai, and how they went from bitter rivals to eye-fucking each other was anybody's guess. Deep down though, he was just jealous because he wished someone would look at him the way that they looked at each other, the odds of that happening though were highly unlikely. His best friend was the number one beyblader in the world, who, from his completely straight opinion, was quite the looker. Then there were the rest of the gang, sex appeal just oozed from Kai's pores, Ray was just hypnotizingly beautiful and Max was just adorable. He...well he was just always over-looked. The only two girls to ever pay him any attention were Emily (who had just started dating Miguel, who could get into a boy-band with just his smile alone) and Hilary. But the class president was way out his league and he knew it.

So it was just going to be him and his computer.

Unbeknownst to him large brown eyes looked at him concernedly from across the room.

* * *

When the last bell rang, the Chief wasted no time snagging Tyson before he skipped out on studying and ran off to Kai's. Hilary decided to join them, eager to teach Tyson some of her "brilliant" test-taking strategies.

The bluenette went along with them without a hassle, hoping the sooner they finished studying, the sooner he could be done and check in on Kai.

Imagine everyone's surprise when their former captain was already at the dojo, in his usual battle outfit, sitting against the far wall with his arms folded and his eyes closed.

Tyson lit up like a Christmas tree. "Whatcha doing here buddy?"

"Preparing you for finals." He slid over 3 thick booklets to each of them.

"What's this Kai?" asked Hilary.

"Copy of last year's exam."

"That's brilliant! We can use these as study material!" exclaimed Kenny.

"Hn." Kai smirked. "Starting now. Pick a corner and start writing."

" **WHAT?!** " the students exclaimed.

"You have 1 hour."

"You gotta be joking!" Protested Tyson, looking down at the thick stack of papers warily.

"59 minutes." The Russian said evenly.

Realizing that the slave-driver was dead-serious and not wanting to face whatever consequences he had schemed they all rushed to separate corners and scrabbled to get out a pencil and started the test. Kai turned his attention to the paperwork he had picked up from his secretary.

For the next hour the room was filled with the scratches of graphite against paper and the occasional page turning as all four teens worked diligently.

Not used to such quiet, Grandpa Kinomiya peeked into the room, absolutely floored that the kids were actually studying! Not wanting to wreck the atmosphere, he banned Hiro from entering the room until further notice. The last thing anybody needed was another altercation between his eldest grandson and the short-tempered male.

An hour later Kai's phone went off. "Time's up."

All three of the students groaned, but grudgingly turned in their papers. None of them had finished. The CEO quickly graded them. "Hilary 98%. Review trigonometry."

"How is that possible? I didn't finish!"

"Test was made to be done in 2 hours. As long as you did half the questions, I didn't dock marks." All 3 of them sighed in relief. " Kenny 96%. Work on your reading comprehension and help Hilary with trig."

"O-Okay." the brunette looked up at Hilary and smiled.

"Hey how did I do, Kai?" asked Tyson eagerly.

"76%"

"Hey alright! That's my best mark on a final ever!"

"You really need to work on graphs, chemistry and history."

"No sweat. At least I know I won't fail!" he smiled triumphantly.

* * *

The rest of the weekend was spent studying with meal and movie breaks between sessions. Tyson often tried to sneak off and train with Dragoon but was thwarted by Kai every time. Normally the dual-haired blader wouldn't care but being barred from blading himself had made him more grouchy and moody than usual. After Tyson's 6th attempt, Kai took away Dragoon and placed it with Dranzer, Neither bitbeast was happy about being put on the sidelines but they found solace knowing they were both suffering equally.

During the following week the teacher decided to throw a bunch of last-minute projects at the students, to the point where even Kenny was frazzled. Kai had helped by making a list of who-does-what, but due to the break-in the CEO found himself up to his neck in paperwork and stuck in pointless meetings about upgrading security. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, the Prime Minister paid him another visit along with a not-so-subtle insult that perhaps he couldn't handle running a company. He wouldn't be surprised if Akira had ordered the assault himself just to make him look like a fool. If so, he clearly had no idea who he was dealing with.

Needless to say, Kai and Tyson didn't get to see each other nearly as much as they had become accustomed to. The results weren't pretty. Tyson became more obnoxious, mopey, and distracted which was really ticking off his classmates. While Kai became more grouchy, cruel and withdrawn which was scaring the shit out of his secretary.

For Kenny though, it was a good reminder of why he had asked Kai to come back in the first place. So when the week of hell was finally over with and all assignments had been turned in, he didn't even attempt to stop Tyson from bolting out the classroom. Sliding down into his chair he sighed, "Ugh. I forgot how exhausting Tyson can be."

Hilary placed a hand on her hip. "It's a wonder how Kai puts up with that loud-mouth."

"Whenever they start getting on each other's nerves they just have beybattle and forget what they were fighting about."

The class-president sweat dropped. "Is that healthy?"

"I've learned not to question it."

"Right...um, so I was wondering if you wanted to go swimming tonight?"

Kenny immediately perked up. "Sure, that sounds great! Let's go home and grab our stuff."

The woman beamed.

* * *

When Tyson blew through the office like a hurricane, scattering papers everywhere, the CEO grunted, "Do you always have to do that?"

The baseball-capped teen rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Whoops, sorry Kai." Getting down on his hands and knees he retrieved the documents, when he handed them back to Kai he took in Kai's dishevelled appearance. Rumpled clothes, red eyes were blood-shot with heavy bags underneath, his hair was greasy with grey spikes going in every which direction and he looked slightly thinner, which meant he wasn't eating, functioning solely on coffee.

"Jeez! I can't leave you alone for a single week without you working yourself to death! C'mon, let's get out of here." he grabbed Kai's arm but the businessman didn't budge.

"Can't. I have a meeting at 4:00. Just go Tyson." Kai's voice lacked it's usual sharpness, only worrying the teenager further.

"No way man. You look like shit. I've taken 18-hour flights across the world, I can wait for you."

A small smile spread across the worn man's lips. Same old Tyson, never willing to give up on anybody. "Fine. Make yourself useful by shredding those documents." he pointed to a large stack of papers on the floor. "Shredder is under my desk."

"Ok." He handed his rival a coffee and a bagel. "But you're not allowed to leave until that bagel is gone."

Kai sighed, too tired to argue, but hid a grin, he had really missed Tyson. He sat back down in his black director's chair and glanced at the clock. 3:50pm. "Projects done?"

"Yup, today was the last day of classes. Finals start next week, but I'm not worried. Thanks to you, Chief and dare I say Hilary, I'll pass with flying colours!" They shared a smile before mahogany eyes fixed on Kai's shoulder. "Are you healing up ok?"

"Yeah. Dranzer is getting restless."

"So is Dragoon." he scratched his head. "We might need to find a secluded place to practice."

"Like where? In case you haven't notice Kinomiya, there really isn't a place we can go without destroying everything."

"Do you think I don't know that?!" he shouted, "But what if we could go to a place that's already destroyed, like that creepy island Dr. What's-his-face trapped us on?"

Kai blinked. "That's actually not a bad idea." He glance back at the clock, 3:58pm. "I gotta go!" he ate the last bite of his bagel and took his coffee. "Remember Kinomiya!"

"Yeah, yeah. Go to your meeting Mr. Big-shot!" When Kai left, Tyson went over to the other side of the back desk and started shredding papers. Before long, curiosity got to the better of him and he began rummaging around Kai's drawers. First drawer was full of boring stuff; staples, paper clips, a bunch of pens, sticky notes. He opened the next drawer and was surprised to find it full of mint chocolate bars, breath mints, gum and various candies. "Wow, how does his face not break out? He has a bigger stash than I do!" Hoping his friend wouldn't notice, he stole a package of Jolly Ranchers. Going over to the bottom drawer he sweat dropped. There had to be at least 3 sets of clothes! "Wow, I guess he really does live here." Going over to the other side of the desk he opened the top drawer only to discover it was filled with different files. Deciding it was better if he didn't go through it, he shut it and opened the drawer underneath. "Pictures?" But these weren't just any pictures, they were pictures of the Bladebreakers. Their first championship. Their second. Right after they won the Justice 5 Tournament. A few random ones they took at the dojo together. Various news clippings of them during the periods where nobody heard from him. Elated, he wiped away the tears that were falling down his cheeks. "Awe, he really does miss us." The last drawer was locked, but the teenager didn't worry about it, he had just learned more about Kai than he'd ever hope to imagine.

When Kai returned from his meeting, Tyson was just shredding the last document. "How's it go?"

He sighed and rubbed his neck." Toddlers. They all want the cookie and none of them want to share. I gave 3 of them the equivalent of a time out. I'm an over-paid babysitter." Tyson burst out laughing. "Glad you find this amusing."

"Sorry! Picturing you in a room full of toddlers in stuffy business suits fighting over cookies is just too funny!"

"It's hell."

"Oh c'mon it can't be that bad. I babysit for the neighbour's kids sometimes. Daichi is way worse."

"That's because you can't tame wild animals."

Tyson laughed in agreement, but stopped, on his face an expression of curiosity. "Have you ever thought about having kids Kai?" the CEO froze and thought about Meko and the kittens and his heart clenched painfully.

"Why do you want to know?" he said defensively.

"Hey, its fine if you don't want to tell me. It was just a question." he huffed, but then smiled softly. "I love kids. Even if I never find love, I can see myself at least adopting one or two – y'know, when I'm 30-something."

Kai's heart raced. Really?! Tyson would be open to adoption? "Yeah, I was thinking the adoption route myself. I need a heir one way or another."

"Oh right, I guess you would. Can't have the company fall into the hands of toddlers, huh?"

"Hn. Smartass." Tyson stuck out his green tongue at him. Green tongue. Green. He glared.

"Um...that's not your happy face."

"You can't keep your paws out of anything can you?"

Tyson could've smacked himself for his stupidity. At least that was Kai's annoyed tone. He didn't have to run for it...yet. "It called my name bro." he shrugged.

"And that somehow made it right?"

"Erm...I'm sorry? I swear I didn't touch your files or tried to open your locked drawer."

Kai sighed. He doubted Tyson could break into that drawer anyway. "Whatever, you coming or not?"

* * *

When they arrived, Tyson was instantly attacked by an adorable fluffy creature. "Awe, Takao! I missed you too buddy!" The grey tabby purred in his arms.

Smiling at the pair fondly, Kai picked up his own cat and began scratching him behind his ear. The rest of the kittens nuzzled around their legs.

Both collapsed onto the couch, the kittens jumping up and cuddling up to them. They threw on the TV, but were both asleep minutes later.

* * *

" _ **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK"**_

What the hell? Kai slowly got up, the kittens on his lap waking up and following him to the door. Dimitri's warm smile greeted him.

"Hey, sorry I was in the neighbourhood and I figured I'd check on that shoulder." Giving his signature grunt, Kai turned around and the doctor followed him in. "I see your roommate is here." Kai looked and saw that Tyson had shifted so he was properly laying face-down on the sofa. Takao was in his arms and Kei on his back. Tora and Kawa snuggling his legs.

"Hardly." Removing his shirt he took a seat at the kitchen table and allowed Dimitri to inspect the wound.

"Hmmm. Lucky for you seems like it's healing properly and it didn't get infec-"

"When can I start blading?"

"Give it another week. Just remember if something hurts, stop. Or else you risk never pulling a ripcord again."

"I'll keep that in mind."

The medic sighed. "At least I know you're not stupid. Crazy. But not stupid." He rummaged through his large brown bag. "Oh, here's everything you requested. Small doses of morphine, bandages, inhalers for nasty colds and since summer is here...4 epi pens."

Kai smiled. "Thanks Dimitri."

"Anytime." the man picked up his bag and left.

"So that's how you get it all."

Startled, Kai looked up to see Tyson peering over the couch. "Mind your own business, Kinomiya." he said tiredly.

"So, when I told you to get your shoulder checked, I meant by a real doctor."

"Why don't you take a moment to think?" Kai snapped.

"Wha?"

"I have enemies. All it takes is an overdose to kill me. Doctors get all your confidential information."

"So why do you trust Donetov? He could easily do the same to you! Even more so, since he's not properly trained!"

"He has more training than most surgeons!"

"And how would you know?!"

Silence fell between them.

"Mind your own business."

"Oh c'mon Kai! I'm only asking because I care! I mean you would think you'd at least tell your best friend that you were allergic to bees!"

Kai's heart pounded. This was the first time Tyson had ever called him his best friend. "Do you really want to know?"

"Of course!"

"Fine." he got up and sat next to Tyson on the couch. "Dimitri was one of the doctors at the abbey."

"No way! And you haven't killed him yet?"

"He did a lot of stuff behind Boris' back. Sneaking us morphine and candy. Treating injuries. Knock out drugs. Lying about injuries so kids would have longer recovery times. Improving results so people wouldn't get booted out the abbey.

He's had several opportunities to betray me and spill his guts to Boris, yet never has. That's why I trust him."

"Oh." Tyson looked down. "Yet...does that mean he's still in contact with Boris?"

"He's Boris' older step-brother."

"WHAT?!"

"He keeps an eye on Boris' for me so I'm not blindsided."

"...So did you know about BEGA?"

"No."

Silence descended once again.

"Thanks for telling me Kai."

"Wasn't like you were going to leave me alone if I didn't."

He grinned. "Got that right...So you can't blade for another week."

"Don't rub it in."

"And I don't have to study." he flopped down on the couch. "So what do we do?"

With Tyson's face scrunched up cutely in thought, his shirt rided up slightly. Oh Kai knew _exactly_ what he wanted to do, the problem was once he gave into his inner desires, he wasn't sure he could stop. While he knew Tyson had years of kendo training behind him it paled in comparison to the years he spent in the Abbey and the training he did in Russia's frozen Tundra. Even with his injury, he knew there was a pretty good chance he would over-power the teen and become worse than Boris.

Like hell that was happening.

Prying his eyes away, his gaze landed on some old board games and he gave a challenging smirk.

Several hours and 7 board games later, the duo realized their rivalry extended beyond beybattles. In every game they played it came to either a tie or one of them would win by a very small margin. While it may not be beyblading, their games were still fun and exhilarating. Kai would be as calculating as ever and Tyson's brash, unpredictably placed them both on edge.

* * *

The following day Kai decided to continue with Tyson's physical training. For Tyson this meant hell. Despite being in a pleasant mood the night before, his ex-captain (well maybe current captain) had apparently woken up on the wrong side of the bed and decided to put him through the most rigorous training exercises he could think of. And that bastard got to sit pretty on the sidelines so he wouldn't damage his shoulder.

Why the bluenette didn't just walk away was the real question, at this point he was really wondering if he was a masochist...well when it came to Kai at least. Didn't matter what the Russian would do, he would always come back for more.

That's what being a good friend was...right?

Except Kai was his best friend, even more so than Max. No matter what he was feeling, all he had to do was look at the stoic rebel and he felt better. Having him on his side made him feel like he was invincible and facing him in a battle...there was no holding back. He could unleash everything he had.

The real question was as he looked over to him standing there, arms crossed, scarf fluttering in the breeze gracefully, watching his every move: What was Kai to him _really_?

* * *

Holy crap, I finally finished it. My eyes burn. Please reward me by leaving a review telling me what you thought. Next chapter will be in about a week!


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Yup, you guessed it, still own nothing.

So firstly, I would like to apologize for making you guys wait so long for an update, things went to hell in a hand basket, shit is still going to hell, but I can manage it without having a mental breakdown. Now secondly, this next chapter is super short...and you guys MIGHT be coming at me with pitchforks. Once again, special thank-yous to Tyka's Flower, adbhut, Little A Granger, Angel Devastation, chibiduo and "Me". I love and appreciate you all. To the readers who have just started reading this story, hello! I'm glad you are enjoying this story and back for more, I hope to see you here again with future chapters.

WARNINGS: The following chapter is beyond gory. I'm sorry. I cried when I wrote it. Well more when my pen wrote it...*glares at pen* See what you have done?! Tissues and a barf bowl may be required...

* * *

Exams came and went and no one was prouder than Grandpa Kinomiya when his youngest grandson walk across the stage, his diploma and a Certificate of Merit in his arms, along with a reward for "Most Improved Student". Hiro stood along side the old man, along with Mr. Dickenson, while Kenny and Hilary cheered loudly for their friend. But it was the figure that stood outside the crowd, across the green school field, dressed for battle, a small proud smile adorning his features and silvery hair that danced in the wind that really caught Tyson's eye and made his heart beat in excitement. They shared a look that said everything.

Instead of returning to his seat, the graduate snuck away from the ceremony and met his rival just outside the school gates. He climbed into the luxury vehicle and they sped away. He didn't need to ask where they were going, deep in his heart – he already knew.

When the ceremonies finished and Tyson was nowhere to be seen, Grandpa Kinomiya had put two and two together, chuckling softly he told the others not to worry and joined them for the reception. He had done what he had first set out to do, make sure Tyson finished high school and had the power and the confidence to do whatever he wanted. His life was up to him now, even if he was several months from turning 18, he was his own man.

As he saw Hiro's retreating figure, clearly put off by Tyson's departure, he couldn't help but wish that his oldest grandson would understand that as well. Unfortunately, he didn't think that no matter what was said, Hiro would never understand Kai and Tyson's connection.

He looked to his longtime friend, Stanley Dickenson. There was no denying the man's brilliance in getting the four most powerful bitbeasts on the same team, but did he ever have any idea how deep the bonds would form between those boys?

Soon it was nightfall, Kenny and Hilary had gone home for the night and Hiro was still brooding somewhere and Tyson, he suspected was at Kai's. He looked around the empty dojo. He remembered how it used to ring with laughter. The good old days where Tyson used to avoid his chores, where Hiro had taken his first steps...when he brought his son, Tatsuya, home from the hospital. He remembered the day where his life had truly began, the day he met Sakura, the love of his life. Disease had taken her away from him when Tatsuya was only 16. But still now, he could picture her perfectly. Her long and beautiful ebony hair, captivating blue eyes, perfect porcelain skin and her melodious voice. He looked to the picture of Tyson's mother that was on the mantle and sighed.

Both he and his son had lost their most precious person and he could only hope that the same wouldn't happen to Tyson.

But tonight there was an odd ache in his bones and a nagging feeling that something was horribly wrong. He found that the only thing that seemed to comfort him was kneeling in front of the family's holy sword. While Tyson deemed it powerless now that Dragoon resided with him, the elder believed that it still held power within it still. "Sword of Dragoon, I beg you. Protect my grandson Tyson and his friend Kai. I can't get explain it, but something tells me, deep within these ol' bones, that the worst is yet to come."

* * *

Meanwhile on Hashima island, the world greatest legends of blading jumped down off the helicopter and landed on the forest landscape. They looked around, not a living soul. The entire place had an eerie feeling with the stillness of it all, but at last they were truly alone.

Walking further inland they came to a clearing. Pulling out their blades that glinted in the setting sun, they readied their launchers and took their stances. Mahogany met crimson and their souls were instantly connected; they could feel every breath and every movement the other made.

It was time.

"3...2...1! LET IT RIP!"

White and blue met and golden shock waves were released, nearly knocking both men off their feet. Adrenaline pumped through their veins and a mad look glinted in their eyes. This was it! This is what they lived for. This is what drove them to become stronger, what made the hards of practice worth it.

The blades encircled each other and clashed again, and like always, Dranzer went on the attack.

Tyson and Dragoon knew this though and they countered with one of their own, both players reeling when the shock waves blew through their bodies.

Oh, they knew they were playing a very dangerous game as trees were bent and broken but some invisible force drew them back together like it always did. This wasn't enough though - they needed more.

Dranzer's attacks became ruthless, Dragoon fought back with equal intensity.

Brown met red. It was time.

"Dranzer!"

"Dragoon!"

The ancient beasts of legend were summoned and took to the sky. It took all their wielder's power to keep standing as their spirits battled.

The blades clashed and scraped together. They both could feel it, soon they would reach their paradise.

However, what everyone forgot was the notorious Dr. B had rigged the island with explosives, as the shock waves became more and more intense, the more unstable the bombs became. Until finally...

 **BOOM**

Ears ringing, head spinning, body aching, Tyson finally came to. Everything was either gone or still burning. The once grassy land was now barren. Slowly everything came back to him. The match...Kai! He looked around frantically, trying to focus his blurry vision, only for his heart to stop dead. Right next to him was nothing more than a bloody arm.

* * *

Sorry to leave it here. I'll update in a week. Please send me a review!


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Beyblade still belongs to Takao Aoki...and he ended it far too soon!

So here is the long awaited chapter of Borderline after Flower's bribing, and your many pleas to update. A special thank-you to Tyka's Flower, Little A Granger, Angel Devastation, chibiduo, "Me", HibarixTsunaxlover, CorynOfHoole, Lun4el and marchellv. I welcome my new readers with cookies :) Also, not that anyone cares...it's like 1AM while I'm typing this.

WARNINGS: So "Me" has brought kittens for all of us to cuddle * **hands out kittens** *. So be prepared for a very dark, heart-wrenching chapter, please keep a box of tissues close because this chapter will _**destroy your emotions**_ _._ Now all I ask **BEFORE YOU START THROWING PITCHFORKS** is to please **READ THE CHAPTER ALL THE WAY THROUGH!** So yeah...ALL THE WARNINGS, because you guys know I give away nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Ears ringing, head spinning, body aching, Tyson finally came to. Everything was either gone or still burning. The once grassy land was now barren. Slowly everything came back to him. The match...Kai! He looked around frantically, trying to focus his blurry vision, only for his heart to stop dead. Right next to him was nothing more than a bloody arm. "Kai!" he screamed, tears pouring down, mixing with the blood on his cheeks. Getting up, heart in his throat, he searched for signs of his missing friend through the thick smoke.

He went numb.

Leaning up against a broken tree stump, nothing but a gory mess, was Kai.

He rushed over and bile rose up in his throat. Kai was covered in blood, his left arm completely gone along with his right leg. Tyson fell to his knees. "Kai!"

Feeling a presence beside him, pained crimson eyes opened. His vision blurry. The pain was agony. That's it. While his mind and soul were fighting to stay alive, his body was done. Struggling to focus, Tyson's bloody, tear-streaked face came into view. "I'm glad you're safe." he whispered. Damn, it hurt to talk, let alone _breathe_. He could see that Tyson was talking, but his ears were ringing too much to hear. He could feel exhaustion taking over and the corners of his vision began to blacken. It was now or never. "I love you." he choked out before the darkness of death welcomed him, a smirk on his lips as he faced it head on.

Kai went limp and Tyson cried in anguish. Frustrated because he couldn't hear Kai's last words and feeling useless because there was nothing he could do. "Kai! No! Kai! You can't leave me! I love you!" he clenched the lifeless body desperately as he screamed out into the night.

A soft red glow and a strange warmth made him look up. Dranzer flew over the body of her master...her friend. Gently he reached out and touched one of her soft feathers. "You gave Kai the power to heal people...please lend me your power. I want to save him. I-I need him. Just like you need him. You helped me save him once, that day on the ice. Let's do it again." he pleaded.

The Phoenix looked at the boy and at the ground, uncertain. There might be explosives hidden underneath the earth, and her powers might set them off. She looked to her young master's body, his spirit was still there, they could still bring him back, but they had to act quickly. To her surprise, Dragoon suddenly wrapped his tail protectively around them, acting as a shield. Silently promising them that he would protect them from any further harm.

Closing his eyes, Tyson connected his spirit to Dranzer's and Kai's rapidly fading spirit. He felt the hot power go through him, quite different from Dragoon's warm, almost cool power. Opening his eyes and seeing Kai's broken body made his heart clutch painfully and the tears fell rapidly.

There was an eerie silence as nothing happened. Tyson's tears fell harder.

And still nothing.

Slamming his fist into the ground, he cursed, then grabbed Kai and kissed his cold lips.

As soon as their lips touched, Kai's body started to glow brightly and he was lifted into the sky. His arm and missing leg joined him and he was sealed together with magic. Crimson eyes opened and Kai stared at his hands in disbelief. He should be dead! He was literally blown to pieces! Unless- He looked at Tyson's elated face and smiled. Tyson hadn't given up on him. Even in death. He had found a way like he always did. His defiance and will triumphing over fate and forging a new destiny. Kai frowned...but at what cost?

As soon as he touched the ground, he was pulled into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry Kai, I just need a minute." Kai smiled and returned the hug. He needed a minute as well. His happiness soon turned into panic however as he felt Tyson go slack in his arms. "Tyson? Tyson!" his eyes widened when he realized there was blood pouring out of Tyson's ears. Shit.

He looked at Dranzer, she looked weak and tired, between the battle and the resurrection, she was at her limit. He knew what it could mean if she used her power just one more time. A sacrifice. But Tyson was worth it. He looked at his beloved Phoenix and his most trusted friend. "Please Dranzer. Just hold on. Lend me your power just one more time...then you can rest."

The bird screeched and Kai felt her power course through him and he healed his love. The bluenette awoke just in time to watch the divine beast slowly fade away.

"W-wha? What's going on? What's happening to her?"

"She's used up too much energy. She needs a long rest to regain her strength." Kai explained, eyes misty as a single scarlet feather landed in his palm as his blade shattered.

"But she'll be back though, right?"

"Right. One day." Turning away he grabbed Tyson's damaged Dragoon blade as they made their way back to the chopper. ' _Until then, I'll be training everyday. We'll both become stronger Dranzer, I won't waste this third chance at life you have given me, old friend.'  
_

* * *

"What the hell did you do?!" screamed Kenny as he looked at Tyson's completely trashed blade.

"Oh and Kai needs a new blade, from scratch." laughed Tyson as his longest friend looked at the blade disbelievingly.

"What?! First you disappear right in the middle of grad, nobody hears from you for two whole days and you drop this on me?! What the hell were you doing that could end up destroying one of _**my**_ blades?! I want answers before I fix anything! And don't you say a beybattle, because I've been fixing blades for years! This was no beybattle!"

As Tyson stumbled for an answer, the oldest of their group stepped forward. "You're right. Those aren't from a beybattle. We blew up an island." Kai grabbed Tyson by the arm and walked out of the dojo, leaving a bewildered Kenny behind. Once they were at the front gate they heard the young genius bellow "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" and decided it was a very good time to book it. Unfortunately, they came face to face with Hiro.

"So the World Champion returns. What? Are you too good for your own family now?" he asking mockingly.

"Hey! I had an appointment!" the younger said defensively.

"More like you ran off with Kai, like you've been doing ever since he came back. The guy who abandoned you for some second-rate bladers. Not just once."

"Yeah, but he came back. He always comes back when I need him, unlike you, who just disappears for years to the point where no one can even contact you!"

The brothers glared at each other, hearing the commotion, Grandpa Kinomiya came out with a menacing look on his face. "Now if you boys wanna fight, I'll give you a real fight!" he swung his wooden kendo stick, which the brothers just barely dodged.

"Hey Grandpa, that's no fair! We're unarmed!" whined Tyson.

"Heh, anything can be made into a weapon lil' dude, but if you can disarm me that would be even more fair, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Tyson muttered.

Finally registering Kai's presence, the old man spoke, "Hey K-man. I got something you should come see, you can come too T-bone." he gave a glare to Hiro, saying that he was not welcome to join them. Hiro responded by huffing and stalking off to his room.

Gramps opened the door to the dojo where the family sword was kept and turned to Kai. "Go look at the crest very carefully K-man."

Uncertain why he was being asked to do this, but did so anyways, the Russian went up to the sword and his eyes widened in surprised. " _Dranzer?!_ " he exclaimed.

"What? Dranzer?" asked Tyson, but Kai didn't answer, too shocked to say anything.

"That spirit came in beaten and exhausted and the sword took her in. I suspect it has magical qualities to help heal spirits."

"Oh! Maybe that's how Dragoon got in there in the first place!" exclaimed Tyson.

"You just might be right lil' dude."

Kai was relieved. Dranzer was in a safe place, protected not only by the sword, but by Dragoon as well. But still..."Gramps, would it be alright if I crashed here until Dranzer is at full strength again?"

Grandpa broke out into a huge grin. "Of course not sonny! Stay as long as you like! Bring your little furry friends too!"

Kai smiled. "Thank-you." Turning back around he lightly touched the crest, feeling Dranzer's warmth he finally allowed himself to relax. Now all that was left to do was to wait for Kenny to finish his new blade. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked down to see Tyson's reassuring smile – one that could make anyone believe it was all going to be okay.

"We'll practice hard Kai. After all, we still have to make sure we get to the finals."

The fire in his soul was ignited again. That's right, he did have to make it to the finals. He still had to beat Tala, Ray...Brooklyn. All so he could face Tyson again. So they could see which of them was truly stronger. So he could have complete faith in himself that he could protect Tyson. So maybe they could unleash everything they had. Their last attempt may have cause him his life, but like hell that would stop him! They made a promise...they would get to that place again. "Yeah. Starting now."

* * *

PHEW! All of this is like 2 hours. So yeah, yeah. It's full of typos. I'll fix it later. Read and review!


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Seriously lawyers, if you sue me...you'll end up in debt.

So a huge thank-you to those still reading, and a special thank-you to Tyka's Flower, Little A Granger, Angel Devastation, chibiduo, "Me", CorynOfHoole and Demons of the arch angel, all of your kind words make me smile! Demons of the arch angel, thank-you especially for reading and reviewing this from the beginning. Her story "MIAB" is definitely worth checking out!

Also in about 4 chapters, this story will be going on a _**brief**_ _ **hiatus**_ , as this will be about halfway through "Borderline" and Kai and Tyson will be starting a new chapter in their lives together, before it goes back to weekly updates. Should only be about 3-6 weeks absolute max. I will be using the extra time to write ahead (as there is still about 20 chapters I still have to write before this story is finished) and post some of my one-shots and short stories, also work on my other story "A Dangerous Affair". I will have a Christmas story finished hopefully by the end of next week. But know, when "Borderline" returns, it will come back with a vengeance! I'm in the middle of writing the tournament now, and jeez it's going to be brutal for you guys to read. Even my own mother said "Wow...you show no mercy." SO be ready for an emotional roller coaster.

Now with all of that said, enjoy this light, safe chapter of Borderline!

* * *

Thanks to school being finished and Tyson having no other responsibilities, and due to their brush with death, Kai and Tyson became inseparable. With the Russian moving into the Dojo, all 10 of his cats came with him. Kouken and Meko spent the majority of their time with Grandpa, while the kittens had free reign of the house and Tyson and Takao were thrilled to see each other everyday.

Hiro was not happy about any of this, however any protest he made was silenced quickly by a glare from Gramps, much to Kai's amusement. He had no idea why the old man liked him so much, but since it drove the uptight-jackass crazy, he was not complaining.

Grandpa Kinomiya received his thank-you when he discovered that all the bills were paid for in full for the next 10 years. He hugged Kai tightly with tears of gratitude pouring down his face and the Ice Prince actually hugged him back. Neither of them said a word to either Kinomiya brother – this was their own little secret. No one needed to know that the old man had been on the verge of selling the house.

Soon plans were made that Tyson would work at Hiwatari Enterprises as Kai's personal assistant, he would be granted time off for tournaments and other personal issues. He officially wouldn't start until September, but he could come to the company at anytime. Although Kai warned the teenager that the job wouldn't be easy, Tyson just assured him that if he could take orders from the "Coldest Bastard in Russia" for this long, the job was a cake-walk.

Both men had figured out their love confessions went unheard, due to the explosion making them both go temporarily deaf, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Though for Tyson, he replayed the kiss over and over in his mind and it was getting harder and harder not to kiss those soft lips again. But he wanted to do it right this time around and not on some crazy hope that it would bring Kai back from the dead (which it totally it!). Well...if he would ever muster up the courage to confess again.

There wasn't a night where they could sleep without the other now. Grandpa often caught them in a mass of limps and blankets most mornings in the Dojo before Kai would wake up and join him for coffee. For the days Tyson was exceptionally hard to get out of bed, the old man would assist Kai with getting up the sleepy-head with screaming "Practice TIME!"

Apparently, unless it was said by Gramps, it wouldn't work because Hilary has used it too many times.

Just when things couldn't get better, Kenny received an e-mail from Max that he and Ray would be coming in on July 20th and would be staying for an entire month.

Tyson was over the moon about hearing that the Bladebreakers would be back together again, but as he looked at the calendar he realized there was another day coming up...Kai's birthday was August 2nd (and he had only discovered that titbit of information when Kenny had been sorting through files when they had been helping the BBA rebuild.) This would be the first time that they all could celebrate his birthday together, the trick was to prevent Kai from mysteriously disappearing for the day. Or maybe they should just let him, and throw a surprise party for when he got back. Yeah- that would work! Kai wouldn't suspect a thing! Now who should all be there? Kai really wasn't a "people person" with no real friends expect the Bladebreakers and- the Blitzkrieg Boyz! Maybe Tala could take the day off and fly in? Maybe he could even help keep Kai busy even! He waited for Kai to leave the room before pulling out his cellphone. /Hey Tala, I'm planning a surprise party for Kai, you in?/

Tala was lounging on his couch, with Bryan making dinner when he received the text. His violet eyes widening before getting a mischievous glint in them. "Looks like the Brat Pack figured out Kai's birthday!"

Bryan poked his head out from the kitchen. "You gotta be kidding. We've been trying to figure that one out for ages!"

"Yeah, well that nerdy-kid must've found it. Tyson wants to throw a surprise party."

Bryan smirked wickedly. "Kai will never see it coming."

Tala typed back that they were in and asked for the date.

/August 2nd. Who would've ever guessed that guy was a Leo?/

/Well he's got the egoistical part down. What's your plan?/

/Keep Kai busy for the day and throw him a surprise party later that night. Oh gtg! He's coming back!/

/Delete your texts!/

/K/

The one thing that Tala did know was that Kai could be a real snoop when he wanted to be, especially when it came to Tyson. He remembered in the last World Tournament how Kai would sneak away to view all of Tyson's matches. That guy was hopeless. He shared an amused look with his boyfriend. "So any ideas what we should get for the Birthday Boy?"

"Many." The day they had been waiting for had finally come.

* * *

Tyson had shoved his phone in his jeans pocket just in time and went back to his comic book. He would make sure he would delete the messages in the bathroom later. He couldn't risk Kai finding out and jumping ship.

The Russian sat down on the couch and turned on the news. The top headline was how a pair of criminals escaped prison by using power tools then going through the pipes. It was like something right out of "Shawshank Redemption" **(1)**.

"Wow, any person who could break out using power tools deserves their freedom!" said Tyson.

"Oh really. What if they went and committed more crimes? They're both convicted murderers."

"Well, maybe they won't. We don't know who they killed or why they killed them. For all we know the people they killed were worse than Boris. I'm sure they had their reasons. If they kill more people, by all means, send them back. But at this point, I say let them go."

When Tyson said things like that, it really made Kai want to kiss him. He smiled. Maybe he would be forgiven if he killed Boris after all.

"What's your opinion on this Kai?"

"Hn. I don't care one way or the other, as long as they don't get in my way."

"So you agree with me?"

"If that's how you want to look at it." Finally it switched to the news segment he wanted to see.

"...and in other news, the Prime Minister of Japan just signed a contract with the CEO of Hiwatari Enterprises, Kai Hiwatari, that all military small arms and ordnance weapons will all be Hiwatari products. Some are calling the contract a risky move. Although the products have a reputation of being of high-quality, made with advanced technology years ahead of its time under former CEO Voltaire Hiwatari, some say that 18-year old Kai Hiwatari is just too inexperienced. Earlier this year the company was nearly taken over by a company called Tovi Lob. With 10 of the 12 board members voting in favour of removing young Hiwatari from power. However, without the vote of Vice-President of the company, Tala Ivanov, the motion wasn't carried. Hiwatari reacted by terminating more than 90% of his employees, including all members of the board whom voted against him. When the Prime Minister was questioned about Hiwatari, he had this to say:"

The TV turned to a clip of the Prime Minister. "Mr. Hiwatari was taught well by his Grandfather, and there is no denying that Hiwatari products are the best in the world. I'm hoping that young Hiwatari will bring fresh, new ideas to the company."

Kai shut the TV off.

Enraged, Tyson got on his feet. "What the hell?! Why didn't they say that Voltaire is in prison? Or that the employees that you employed were in cahoots with Tovi Lob? Way to make you the bad guy!"

"The press is biased. Which bias depends on who's bringing home the bacon. As long as its not slander, they can get away with it."

"It's still not fair." huffed the teenager as he plopped back down on the couch with his arms crossed.

"Life's not fair. Akira's actions were scrutinized as well."

"Oh. Is that good or bad?"

"Doesn't matter."

"So why check the news at all?" asked Tyson cheekily.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be training or something?"

"I am. I'm your assistant aren't I? So shouldn't I be learning all of this?"

Kai looked at Tyson, impressed. Apparently the normally care-free boy was going to take his role seriously. The 13 year old who thought he could get by on talent and luck alone had been replaced by a serious, hard-working and eager young man. The CEO had originally only given the job to Tyson to fulfill his own selfish needs of wanting the boy near him and to help Gramps out, intending only to give Tyson small, simple tasks that he didn't have time for or just didn't want to do. But if the 17 year old was actually serious, he could throw him a bone. After all, Tyson was only careless, rash and obnoxious. He wasn't stupid. And lord knew he could handle the press.

"Keep your friends close and enemies closer. That's how you win cooperate wars."

"Um...so you want to remain one step ahead of the enemy and so you need to know their every move?"

"Exactly."

"That's pretty twisted. Since when does Kai Hiwatari ass-kiss?"

The Russian crossed his arms. "I don't. I pretend to be their friend to get what I want. Let them think they're using me, while I'm using them."

A blank look adorned the baseball-capped teen's face. "Uhhh...I don't get it."

A smug look graced Kai's features. "Don't worry. Not everyone can be me."

"You think you're so great, but wouldn't it be easier to be _actually_ friends so you can ask for things at any time?

"Unfortunately your ideals of rainbows and unicorns don't work here." he stated, only ticking Tyson off further.

"Why not?!" demanded the assistant.

"Do you make friends in a battle-royal match?"

"Hell no. Never know when your buddy is gonna stab you in the back."

"Cooperate wars are the same way. If you share ideas, the ideas get stolen."

"...So everything is just one big beybattle minus the fun?"

"Speak for yourself Kinomiya."

"Fine then, what's so great and fun about this, oh _Mr. Hiwatari_?"

Kai grabbed his laptop off the coffee table and pressed a few keys before turning the screen towards Tyson, who read the words "Daikin Industries' CEO's reaction to Hiwatari's Contract * **Hidden Camera** *" above the loading video. He looked at his friend with confusion. "Daikin Industries along with Komatsu were the leading companies alongside Hiwatari Enterprises for small arms and ordnance weaponry."

"Oh...before your new contract."

The Russian smirked. "Watch." He clicked play.

In the surveillance video, there was a balding, chubby, middle-aged man behind his desk he appeared to be writing something when another man came into the room. "I'm sorry sir. Hiwatari got the contract."

The CEO's reaction was instantaneous. He barked at the man to get out of the room, and when he was alone, he flipped over his desk and papers flew everywhere. The Japanese man then began a long string of swears that would make a sailor blush as he kicked the desk and paced around the room angrily; calling the Prime Minister a fool and Kai an insolent, fuck-face twat-muffin amateur. At this, Tyson started howling in laughter.

"Hahahahaha! Oh my God! He's having a temper tantrum!"

The video went on with the businessman tearing apart his office, continuing with the obscenities. "I'd love to launch a blade at his pretty face and gouge out his fucking eyes! That worm! That fucking little worm! How'd he come up with plasma shields?! He obviously stole the idea!" He picked up his phone. "Give me 4 dozen donuts – STAT!"

Tyson was on the floor, rolling around in tears laughing, as Kai turned off the video. "G-G-Get me a d-d-doughnut – STAT!" he gasped between giggles. When he finally composed himself, he wiped away tears and said "Ok, ok. That was pretty funny." he admitted.

Kai just inspected his nails. "Nothing like watching cooperate scumbags get beaten at their own game by a "fuck-face amateur".

"I don't know about that, watching Hilary's attempt at blading was pretty priceless." Tyson chuckled.

"Please tell me she didn't?" asked Kai biting back a grin.

"Oh yeah. We were all on the bus and she spun Kenny's blade and it bounced EVERYWHERE! It was pretty bad."

Kai's heart tugged slightly. How much had he missed? "Ha, serves Kenny right for not keeping tabs on his blade."

"Yeah, ya think with how much heck he gave me, he'd take his own advice." Laughed Tyson. "I wonder if he's going to join in the tournament like he did last time?"

"It depends if he can make it through the qualifiers. Only the top 50 bladers advance to the tournament."

"Top 50?! Isn't that a bit much?"

"Scared Kinomiya?"

"Maybe, if I wasn't so damn good." Said Tyson, flashing a cocky smile, before frowning. "Still, Boris will be there."

Seeing the far-away look in the brown eyes, the Russian clenched his fists. Damn that man to hell! "All he is, is a lousy recruiter for another lousy team. Just concentrate on playing the game, no matter who your opponent is."

Tyson smiled. "You're right Kai."

"GUYS!"

Both teens jumped in surprise as Kenny burst through the door, out of breath.

"Woah! Where's the fire chief?!" exclaimed Tyson.

"It's finally done." chuckling, the brunette held up a gleaming new Dranzer.

* * *

 **1)** **I was sitting with my mom in a restaurant when we saw this news story. No joke, somewhere in the states, 2 convicted murderers escaped prison using power tools...sometimes reality is stranger than fiction.**

So...lots of boring blah, blah, blah...on the bright side, Kai and Tyson actually had a full conversation! Never fear! The chaos resumes in the next chapter along with some fluffiness. Hope you enjoyed the breather! Please review and maybe if I get enough reviews I'll update before Christmas!


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own Santa clau- Oh shit, sorry wrong disclaimer! It's Beyblade. I don't own Beyblade. Or Santa. Or anything really...

Hello ladies, I'm back, sorry that the chapter is so late...but dude...it's christmas! So in the spirit of the Holidays, this is a special double chapter of Borderline, my late Christmas present to the amazingly gifted Tyka's Flower! I love you!

Once again, thank you to Tyka's Flower, Little A Granger, Angel Devastation,"Me", CorynOfHoole and Demons of the arch angel for all of the kind words and people who come back week after week for more chapters. Unfortunately after this, there's only one more chapter left before this story goes on hiatus.

So on with chapter 26!

Drinking game: Drink every time someone says "Oh my God" this chapter.

* * *

Kenny handed the blade to Kai. "Meet Dranzer Metal Blaze." The blade was roughly the same size and weight as Dranzer Metal Spiral. "Don't let it's looks fool you, it spins 20 times faster and is made out of a stronger metal alloy. But, like always it will be harder to control. Concentration is key. Why don't you give it a spin and see for yourself?"

The boys went into the garden and Kai shooed the kittens inside the house, remembering the first time her spun Dranzer MS and nearly killed a cat. He knew now never to take any of Kenny's blades lightly. Loading his launcher he took a breath. "Let it rip!" He pulled the ripcord.

The blade shot out and scaled up the entrance all, onto the dojo roof, then back down to the ground before returning back to the owner's hand. "Nice work chief." Kai praised.

In awe of the blade's speed Tyson cheered, "Awe, wow that was awesome! Man, I really wish I had my Dragoon."

"Then its probably a good thing I finished this." Kenny pulled out a white blade with gold and red trimmings from his pocket. "Your last blade was too damaged to be salvaged, so meet Dragoon Metal Tempest."

Tyson felt the hard, smooth, shiny surface of his new blade. "Dragoon Metal Tempest." he said in awe. He pulled out his launcher and loaded it. Spotting an empty pop can, he picked that as his target, before pulling his ripcord. The boys watched as Dragoon landed perfectly on the can, then by the sheer force of the velocity of the spin, they watched the cola can melt and be twisted so it was nothing more than a hunk of metal. Tyson recalled Dragoon. "Holy Chief you weren't kidding! Boris had better watch out!"

Kai gave a small smile. It seemed like the new blade reinvigorated Tyson's confidence. He held up his blade, silently issuing a challenge.

"Ah! Don't destroy everything!" exclaimed Kenny running for the dojo to take cover.

"Don't sweat it Chief! Kai doesn't have Dranzer, how much damage could we do?"

The answer to that was a demolished beydish, several broken beams, holes in the concrete wall and 7 shattered flower pots.

"Um...Oopsie?"

Kenny face palmed. He could definitely believe that these two blew up an island.

* * *

Later that night, inside the dojo, the dual-haired Russian stood in front of the Holy Sword of Dragoon. He could feel the Red Phoenix's power was at full strength. He launched his blade. "Come forth, Dranzer!"

Immediately the sword turned purple and the crimson spirit emerged then went into the spinning top, the blade then jumped into Kai's hand. "Welcome back Dranzer." The bit piece gleamed in response.

"So does this mean you're leaving?"

Kai whipped his head around to see Tyson leaning against the doorway, his face hidden behind his bangs.

"There's no reason for me to stay." he said softly.

"You knooooow..." Tyson looked up, a playful glint in his eyes that sent shivers down Kai's spine. "It would piss off Hiro royally if you stayed till Max and Ray leave next month."

Oh right. They were coming in two days – he had forgotten about that. He flashed Tyson a smirk. "I thought you wanted Hiro and I to get along?"

Tyson walked up to the Phoenix Master and chuckled. "I've learned to pick my battles carefully when it comes to you, Kai."

The dim lighting made the boy's eyes sparkle and Kai felt his heart beat fast. They stood there, eye to eye for several seconds before that same invisible force that they felt in a beybattle, started drawing them together once again. Slowly their faces inched closer-

"Ahem." Their heads snapped towards the intruder. "Am I interrupting something?"

Kai glared, Tyson just grinned. "Not at all, Kai just agreed to stay another month."

Kai could see Hiro's eyebrow twitch in irritation. "Did he now?"

"Yeah! Him, Max and Ray will be staying for a month so we can train for the tournament."

Hiro looked at Kai's smug face and his blood boiled, until an idea came to him. "Then how about I take over your training, so the six of you can train together?"

Tyson was confused. "Six?"

"Kenny and Daichi."

The look on Tyson's face was of pure horror. "Not Daichi! He won't leave me alone and will want to beybattle me _all the time_!"

Kai on the other hand just clenched his jaw. So if that's how Hiro wanted to play this game; Fine. He clearly had no idea who he was dealing with. "Hmm, I seem to remember us defeating the last team you coached." He said hotly stepping up so that Tyson was now behind him, his arms crossed. He smirked. "So why would we need you?"

"Wasn't it you who _lost_ to Tyson? So what could you possibly have to teach him? I, on the other hand have never lost. I've been around the world and seen techniques that you could only dream of."

Tyson, who had been silent until now had finally had enough. **"Would you two please stop fighting?!** " he bellowed, brown and crimson eyes stared at him. "I know both of you just want me at my best, but fighting isn't going to get us anywhere. I blade because its fun! Last time I was so worried about being the champion and losing my title, I lost sight of what was most important. It's a game."

Hiro crossed his arms. "Fine. So what do you want to do Tyson?"

"Honestly, I've always learned best by watching others play. When they do a move that I've never seen before, I get so pumped up that I just have to to try it myself!

You both are right. I know all of Kai's moves, but I have fun training with him. Hiro, no offence, you know a lot, but I don't have fun training with you." he remembered how many times his brother had punched and thrown him to the ground with his 'tough love' approach. Kai was a slave-driver, but never cruel.

"So what do you want to do, Kinomiya?" Kai asked pointedly.

"Give me time to think..." he snapped his fingers and suddenly brightened, "I need to talk to Max!"

Both of the older men blinked.

"Why Max?" asked Hiro.

Tyson grinned. "Because he usually goes along with my crazy ideas!" With that, he ran into his room, leaving both males confused.

* * *

For the next two days Tyson was strangely silent about all topics relating to blading; opting to take on and learn all his duties of being Kai's personal assistant instead. Needless to say, Kai was suspicious about what Tyson was planning, especially since it involved Max; Anything involving those two usually ended up with him bailing them out of trouble. Truthfully, he was waiting for the call to bail them out of jail because a game of 'Truth and Dare' getting out of hand, in which he would say "Find your own way out." and leave them there for a night or two so they would learn their lesson. After that though an "anonymous donor" would pay their bail...he couldn't risk either of them meeting "Bubba".

He did enjoy Tyson being in the office and usually busied the teen with shredding papers, running documents and looking through resumes. Tyson went out voluntarily at 3:00 to bring him coffee and bagels.

It wasn't until Ray and Max arrived and the four of them were all sitting in the Dojo that Tyson finally revealed his plan.

"You want to do- WHAT?!"

"Go on a trip. We'll all pick a place and study how they blade so we can come up with new techniques."

Ray was the first to speak. "Great idea! It makes perfect sense. We already know most of the moves of the most powerful bladers in the circuit, but we also know that not all of them go to tournaments. We all know each other's moves. It's perfect!"

"How long do you think we'll be gone?" asked Kenny.

"Tyson and I were thinking about 3 weeks, so the last week we of our visit we can spend it practising and just hanging out." said Max.

"Then, yeah. I think it's perfect! Kinda like the trip we did in Europe."

"Exactly! What do you think, Kai? Do you think you could come?" asked Tyson anxiously.

Kai felt 4 pairs of eyes on him. He thought of the company and the answer was obvious. "Yeah, whatever." Tyson and Max cheered and they started making plans to leave.

* * *

Tala had his nose buried deep in paperwork when the familiar ring tone of "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" started playing. He answered.

Everyone in the surrounding offices could hear the next statement: **"What do you mean I have to do your job for the next MONTH?!"** Followed by sounds of various objects being thrown against the wall.

All the employees wisely avoided the office for the rest of the day. However the entire situation was good for one Lelouch Lamprouge, a young man who had risen through the ranks of Hiwatari Enterprises through superior managing skills and a vast number of overtime hours. When Tala saw this, he immediately called him in and wanted to make him deputy vice-president (which came with a substantial pay increase, a large Christmas bonus and a month vacation.). The Frenchman, sensing his boss' desperation, made sure to get everything in writing before he agreed.

For Tala, he sincerely hoped that Kai and Tyson would be fucking like rabbits after this trip, or else he was going to lock them into a room together; Kai's wrath be damned.

The very next day, Tala walked into Kai's office, weary and worn, fully expecting Kai to be there to greet him, but all he saw was a note left on the desk that said "Try not to screw things up." The vein on his forehead throbbed and he silently vowed to figure out a way to embarrass Kai so badly in front of the Tyson that the Dragon Master wouldn't let Kai live it down for years.

He chuckled so madly, that all the employees realized that this boss was crazier than their last and avoided the office at all costs.

* * *

After the long 9-hour flight, the former Bladebreakers plus Hilary landed in the "land down under" Sydney, Australia. They had decided this was the best place to go since they didn't get many Australian beybladers at the tournaments, so their blading styles were still quite unknown. By the time they had checked into their rooms and dropped off their luggage, Tyson was eager to find some bladers. "C'mon let's go already!"

"Hang on Tyson, do you even know where to find any bladers?" asked Hilary, making Tyson stop in his tracks and everyone sighed.

"I vote we check out the facility the BBA has here." suggested Kenny and everyone agreed.

Upon arrival, they saw two small children battling together, when the smaller one was defeated, the older one retrieved the blade and encouraged the little girl to keep going. The cute scene made the World Champion smile. "See, now there is the true spirit of the game."

"You better be careful Tyson, one day they might beat you!" joked Max.

"Maybe. Either way, we might see them at the Championships one day!" With one final look they entered the BBA building.

"Oh my God! It's you! All of you!"

"Eh?" Then man behind the desk rushed up to them.

"Great. A fan boy." Kai muttered.

"Oh my God! I can't believe you're all here, all the way down here! Max Tate, 'The Chief', Ray Kon, Kai Hiwatari and the World Champion himself, Tyson Kinomiya! It's such a honour!"

Tyson held out his hand. "It's always a pleasure to meet our fans." The man took it and shook it enthusiastically. "Who are you?"

"I'm Justin! What are you doing here in 'The Land Down Under'?" he asked, getting over his shock, "Are the Bladebreakers getting back together?"

"No, we've come actually to meet the people here and see new styles of blading and have a few battles since we rarely see any Australians in the tournaments." said Max truthfully.

"Oh then you have to meet Jason and his mates. Their the best!"said Justin.

"Ok, then what are we waiting for?!" Tyson turned around and ran out, only to come face to face with a hairy beast with 8 eyes and just as many legs. All the colour drained from his face and he promptly fainted.

But nobody, including Kai, could blame him; the spider was bigger than a dinner plate. Hilary hid behind Kenny.

"Oh don't mind Ol' Nancy there. She's harmless! It's the little spiders and the honey-bees that you gotta watch out for." explained Justin.

At the work 'bee' Kai stiffened. Making a quick decision, he picked up Tyson and threw him over his shoulder. "I'm going to take 'sleeping beauty' back to the hotel. You guys go meet this Jason-kid." he ordered.

"Yeah, no problem Kai." said Ray. The neko-jin was suspicious. Kai rarely showed Tyson any affection around strangers. And back to the hotel? Kai hated staying indoors for too long, especially since he was technically on vacation. There had to be something more going on here. Something he was missing.

Letting it go for now, he looked back to their group. With Tyson out of commission and Kai gone, he was in charge. "Alright Justin, can you show us the way?"

* * *

Once Kai was in the safety of the hotel room, he place Tyson on the bed of their shared room and laid down next to his crush.

Right now he would do anything to go back to Russian's cold tundra where the black and yellow bastards couldn't survive. He knew Australia had spiders, snakes and strange wildlife – those he could handle- but fucking _**bees**_?

It was bad enough that Tyson knew about his condition, but the others really didn't need to know. He sighed. This sucked.

"Ow!" a sudden prick made him cry out in pain and he cautiously looked at his hand. His blood ran cold. Sticking out of his hand was the unmistakable presence of a bee stinger.

Knowing he didn't have much time, he quickly launched himself at his bag and violently began ripping out his clothes until he found his salvation at the very bottom. Unfortunately he could feel his tongue and throat swelling and it was getting more and more difficult to breathe. His eyes and cheeks began to swell and his vision blackened.

He felt two strong arms around him and a piercing pain in his thigh and within minutes the swelling went down, he found himself in Tyson's lap and could hear the boy talking to someone.

It wasn't long before more people came into the room and he felt himself being carried out.

The last thing he heard was "It's going to be ok, Kai."

* * *

The next time he came to, he could hear a steady beeping and his left hand was touching something smooth and warm. Forcing his eyes open, he immediately shut them again, the bright, white walls blinding him. Once his cerise eyes finally adjusted, he looked to the side where the warmth was coming from and his heart melted. Tyson was flopped over on the bed, completely passed out and their fingers were intertwined.

Kai shifted himself to get more comfortable and the teenager was immediately awake. "Kai! Oh my God dude, you scared me so bad! The doctors were saying that had I given you the adrenaline shot a just a moment later you wouldn't be here. Guess you weren't kidding when you said you were severely allergic to bees." Tyson gushed.

Kai smiled. Same old loudmouth who cared way too much and refused to give up on him. This was the second time he saved his life. "No we have candlelight dinners and go for long walks underneath the moonlight." Well at least his sarcasm was still working. "Let's both be glad you can read directions."

"Yeah, no kidding buddy." A silence fell between them.

"Thank-you. I do appreciate you saving my life."

Tyson's bright smile made the Russian's heart stop. "Well I couldn't let you die on me so close to finals, it wouldn't be the same without ya man."

He really didn't deserve this midnight-haired angel.

"Oh! Mr. Hiwatari, glad you're awake! I've never seen a reaction to a bee sting as bad as yours." said the nurse as she walked into the room.

...For some reason her bright and cheerful nature irritated the fuck out of him. "Can I leave now?"

"The doctors will run a few more tests, then you can go." As soon as the nurse left, Kai ripped out his IV.

"Kai! What are you doing?!"

"Getting out of here and going back to Japan." he realized he was in a hospital gown. "Now where the hell are my clothes?"

Tyson remembered how much Kai despised hospitals, and his thoughts drifted back to the battle with Brooklyn, not only had Kai refused medical attention, but he had shown up in the middle of the chaos, covered head-to-toe in bloody bandages. Obviously there was no stopping him. Sighing he handed the stoic adult his clothes and licked his lips when he caught a glimpse of Kai's rippling pectorals.

"C'mon let's go Tyson."

They checked the corridor to make sure it was clear, creeping down the hallway, Tyson caught glimpse of a person he never wanted to see again. He grabbed Kai's hand and quickly turned a corner and they leaned up against a wall. "Damn I hope he didn't see us."

Crimson eyes narrowed. "Who didn't see us?"

"One of Boris' goons. He's really mean with a whip." the Japanese male said darkly.

Kai placed a comforting hand on Tyson's shoulder. "We need to get out of here."

Tyson peeked around the corner before snapping his head back. "No good, he's there."

Darting his eyes around, Kai's gaze fell on the window behind them, he nudge the bluenette who immediately caught on. Kai launched his blade at the window and the glass shattered and both boys covered their eyes. They could hear footsteps behind them. Grabbing hands they bolted and jumped out the window. Tyson tapped into Dragoon's power and they took flight.

Looking back, Kai watched as one of the doctors pulled out a gun. Red eyes glowed and the weapon combusted and the man caught fire. Kai smirked.

* * *

"Well that trip was a bust." said Max as he looked up at the Dojo ceiling. "Who would've though Boris would go to such lengths to get to you guys?"

"He's a cunning, manipulative psychopath. Nothing about him surprises me anymore." said Kai curtly.

"Yeah, guess you're right." sighed Max.

"Did you learn anything about that Jason-kid?" asked Tyson, only paying half-attention to his comic book.

"Yeah, he's pretty good, but you could tell that he was holding back." said Ray, a frown etched on his face.

"Probably because they know Tyson can copy moves." said Kai. He knew it threw him for a loop when Tyson started using opponent's moves when they battled together, putting his own spin on them. One more reason Tyson was such a brilliant and dangerous blader.

"So, now what?" everyone looked at the Chinese teen. "Anywhere we go, we probably won't learn much."

Tyson sighed. "Looks like I'll have to ask my brother to train us, even though he's such a hard-ass."

"Maybe he'll be different this time y'know? I mean if you've told him that his teaching is too rough, maybe he'll change his ways?" suggested Ray.

"Yeah, you should give it a try, Ty." Max encouraged.

 _Hn. This should be interesting._ Russian thought as Tyson ran out of the Dojo.

* * *

"C'mon boys, a hundred more!" Hiro shouted.

Tyson froze, mid-sit-up. "You've got to be kidding me! We've done a thousand already!"

"I said a hundred Kinomiya!" Hiro demanded sharply. "I'm going easy on you, the Brazilians could do two thousand!"

Everyone groaned. Hiro was way worse than Kai on a day from hell with no caffeine, said man wasn't complaining though; Training in Russian, he used to do 1500 sit-ups a day. Use to. Thanks to work, the limited time to work-out (and not to mention the adorable cats), he was struggling with the exercises as much as everyone else. In result, the image of Dranzer slicing the man's head clean off his shoulders kept popping up in his head. What also sucked was where he was positioned, it was impossible to watch Tyson sweat...it was one of his many guilty pleasures.

"Hiwatari!" Hiro's ugly mug suddenly appeared above his knees. "Watch your posture, your nose should touch mine!"

 **BOOM!**

Hiro was on the ground, clutching his nose and Kai gave a sly grin. "There. How was that?"

Brown eyes glared murderously, while the rest of them snickered at Kai's head-butt.

"That's what happens when you mess with Kai." the Russian heard Max whisper to Ray.

"Hiwatari 300 more!" came the sharp, yet nasally command as Hiro rose to his feet. Kai's grin grew wider as he saw the blood dripping down. That was nose number 38 he had broken in his lifetime.

"Whatever you say...coach." his smirk widened even more when the former BBA coach ran inside the dojo, probably to check the damage. At around 1250 sit-ups he glanced over and saw that Max and Ray were still going. "You guys were finished over a hundred sit-ups ago."

"Yeah, we know." came Tyson's voice. "But that was way too awesome for us to let you do those sit-ups by yourself."

"Yeah, we're a team after all." agreed Max.

This time a genuine smile spread across the Russian's face. "This doesn't mean I'm going easy on any of you in the tournament."

"We wouldn't dream of it." said Ray.

"Did Kenny pass out yet?" he asked.

"As soon as Hiro's back was turned he made a break for it." said Tyson. "Poor guy. I can't blame him."

"Shhh. Coach Hard-Ass is coming this way." warned Max. The former Bladebreakers silenced themselves and concentrated on their last hundred sit-ups.

It wasn't long before they heard footsteps and a cold voice ask, "Where's Kenny?"

Tyson spoke up. "His phone rang and he said he had to go home- family emergency. You understand, right bro?" a strangled scream made them all look up and to their horror Tyson was being lifted off the ground by his shirt.

"Don't. Lie. To. Me." spat Hiro, his voice screamed danger. "Where is he?"

Kai's anger finally boiled over.

Feeling his skin burn, Hiro released his grip on Tyson's collar and clutched his hand. Kai was able to catch the smaller bluenette before he hit the ground. In an even tone, Kai declared, "I don't care who you are, if you lay another hand on him again, I **will** destroy you."

The tension was thick enough to a crush a blade as Hiro and Kai glared each other down.

"Kai, I'm alright buddy, really." said Tyson softly, breaking Kai out of his trance and he set the boy back down on the ground.

"I'm done here." Kai turned around and headed for the entrance.

"Kai! Wait!" shouted Tyson as he ran after him.

Hiro turned around and was met by matching glares of disapproval.

"Wow, working for Boris, now this. Can you possibly sink any lower?" venom was laced into every word Ray spoke.

"It's a wonder how you are even related." added Max, before they ran after their friends.

The older Kinomiya sighed and looked up at the blue sky. "I'm sorry...Mom."

A pair of old and wise eyes looked at the 20-year old sadly, then at a picture of said woman that was hung on the mantle. "Yoshie, I never thought this day would come so soon. I'm going to miss him." He could've sworn the picture gave a reassuring smile.

* * *

When Tyson finally caught up to Kai, he was on the bridge staring down into the river. With the sun setting and the wind just tousling around the grey locks gently, the man looked simply ethereal. Putting on a bright smile he said, "Hey buddy, should've known that you would be here."

"Hn."

Taking that as an invitation, Tyson walked up and stood beside his friend. After a few moments he said, "Thank-you for what you did back there. I had it handled though." he laughed.

"Was it like that last time, all through your training?" the dual-haired man asked softly.

"More or less. He's always been that way though. 'Toughening me up' is what he called it. Just once though, I'd love to beat him in a fair beybattle and prove to him that I am strong."

"There's no point. He's beneath your level."

Tyson looked up curiously. "You've never seen him spin, how would you know?"

Smirking, Kai said, "Because he thought Brooklyn was as strong as anyone could possibly get." he stared straight at the World Champion. "You don't need to prove to him or to anyone that you're worthy. 'Cause I know that you are, and I'm rarely wrong."

A blush rose on Tyson's cheeks. All he had ever wanted was Kai's approval, it was all he ever needed. As he looked into those deep, sparkling crimson pools, he knew that Kai was all that he ever needed. He looked at those tender, pale lips and his body was suddenly acting on its own. His stood up on his toes and leaned in-

"Hey guys!"

The sudden noise made him lose his footing and he felt himself go over the ledge and he closed his eyes. A hand latched onto his and he felt himself be swiftly pulled up. When he opened them again, he found his face pressed into Kai's chest.

"You alright?" came the smoky voice that was like candy to his ears.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" he squeaked. Damn puberty. Now, whomever that was, he was going to beat them to a bloody pulp-

Oh. It was Kenny.

"What's up Chief?" he asked, completely forgetting that he had fallen off the bridge 10 seconds ago.

"Grandpa wanted to see you guys. It sounds important. _Both_ of you."

Kai and Tyson shared a concerned look.

* * *

20 minutes later Grandpa, Tyson and Kai were siting around in the Dojo. Takao and Kei were in their respective owner's laps while Kouken was in Grandpa's.

"Yeah, but that's his fault! He's worse than Kai when it comes to training!- No offence buddy."

"Hn. None taken."

"-I don't see how I should be the one in trouble here!" said Tyson earnestly.

"Now hold your horses, I never said you were in trouble."

Tyson blinked in surprise. "What? Really?"

Grandpa chuckled. "Really lil' dude. It's obvious that his time away from home has made H-man undisciplined and I'm going to have to do some teaching."

"Oh wow, really?! I can't wait to see that!" said Tyson, doing a fist pump into the air.

"Actually home-dawg, since you're there half the time anyways, I was wondering if you boys wanted to live at K-man's digs for awhile. If that's alright with you K-man?"

Kai cocked his eyebrow. Well this was interesting. Obviously Hiro was in some major shit with the old man, it was possible he was going to dish out punishments that he didn't want Tyson to see, because the teen's caring nature might get in the way. With the thought of Hiro getting what he deserved at the forefront of his mind, he said yes without hesitation. "Yeah, whatever."

But when he awoke the next morning, with a raging hard-on, Tyson curled up in his arms and 10 cats purring loudly, he wondered what hell he just agreed to.

* * *

FUCK YES! FINALLY TYPED THIS BEAST OUT! You know the drill, leave me a pretty review and I'll release the final chapter before the hiatus. 3


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my gorgeous self.

So HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! I got wasted and me and the toilet were well acquainted this morning. Pretty sure I'm going to swear off alcohol for awhile. Had a blast though. I hope all of your new years were in the presence of loved ones. And if not, then believe this year will be better.

This is the last chapter of Borderline before I take a short break and return in February. I will be still updating other stories throughout the break, so I'm sure those will keep you wonderfully entertained until Borderline's return. Why the break? Because rewriting, posting double chapters and such has put me behind, and I rather write ahead and work out all the kinks and keep to my promise of one chapter a week. So think of this chapter as kinda a mid-season finale. (Much like Tyson taking down Kane and beating Cyber-Dragoon in v-force).

So, because for some reason I can't see any of my new reviews (is anyone else having this problem? Like I know I have 153 reviews on this story, but I can only see 152 when I click to read them.) I'm just going to thank Tyka's Flower, Little A Granger, Angel Devastation, chibiduo, "Me", HibarixTsunaxlover, CorynOfHoole, Lun4el and marchellv for all the amazing support. To all my readers whom I can't thank personally, I love you too!

No warnings for this chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

It soon became apparent that the tiny 1 bedroom flat was not big enough for the both of them and 10 cats. They were either tripping over a cat, Tyson's clothes or bumping to each other, and gods knew that the kitchen was much too small to have any more than one person in it at a time. On day 3, while Kai was at work (which Tala was so unbelievably happy for), and Tyson was spending time with Ray and Max, the dual-haired man started house hunting.

Yes, house. He needed something big enough to handle any unexpected house guests and Tyson had a lot of friends. What the former World Champion needed was something that was big enough to handle Tyson and all that came with him, and he could still disappear into his bedroom if need be. The major downside would be that he would have less excuses to cuddle the crap out of the bluenette, but he couldn't keep coming to his office to release his sexual frustrations.

Also, jacking off with an innocent kitten staring right at you was more than a little unnerving. Yeah...he needed a bedroom, a sound-proof one at that.

The ringing of his office phone forced him out of his musings.

"Hiwatari."

"It's been a long time Kai."

He froze as his stomach did a back flip. Not this. Not now. Not when everything was finally going alright.

"Mother...?"

"Very good, son. Yes it's me." he could hear the cold, emotionless tone and a small part of him died, while he clenched his fists. She hadn't changed at all.

"What do you want?" he struggled to keep his voice even.

"I have been nominate as a Deputy of Russia and I am confirming that I will have Hiwatari Enterprises support." There was no question. That was an order.

The CEO gritted his teeth. Typical. First time he hears his mother's voice in 11 years and its to ask if he will help her honour her bribes so she could get on the State Duma.

Honestly between her and his Grandfather, it was no wonder why we went mad with Black Dranzer's power. Even now; He craved power. To be the best of the best, but that involved crushing the mountain that was Tyson Kinomiya.

He thought about this logically. Completely ignoring the fact they were blood, it would be in his best interest if he knew someone in The Duma. Someone who he could control with money, it really was just a bonus that it was his mother.

He closed his eyes and tried to conjure up just one memory where she wasn't so cold and distant. All he could remember was his father. His father gave him enough affection for two parents before he was sent to the abbey.

Yet his mother was never cruel. Stern, yes. But he couldn't remember her ever raising a hand to him. Which had to count for something...

Right?

"Yes. You have the support of Hiwatari Enterprises." There was a long pause, but then...a sniffle. His heart raced. "...Mother?

A broken, watery voice replied. "I-I gotta go."

The ice barrier around his heart shattered. "Mom, wait!" to his relief he could still hear the muffled sobs. It all clicked into place. "Mother, he's gone."

"Y-your n-not m-mad with m-me?" she wept. "E-even a-after all t-the horrible things they did- That I-I let them do?"

Kai sighed. His mother had just been another victim in all of this as well.

Damn Kinomiya, the boy had really softened his heart. Or maybe just made it stronger? He had no fucking clue anymore.

He had no idea what had possessed him to say what he said next, "C-can I see you? We need to talk."

"I-I'm not sure it's a good idea. They're still watching us."

He didn't need to ask. "It's fine mother. Please take care of yourself."

"You as well." A pause. "I love you."

Tears pricked his eyes. "I-I love you too."

The line went dead.

Standing there in stunned silence, he tried to wrap his head around what just happened. His mother. His mother actually loved him...

A rage boiled up inside him. "AHHH!" With inhuman strength he picked up the black, metal desk and threw it against the wall. "I'm going to fucking kill you Boris! For all that you have done, I swear to God I'm going to fucking murder you!"

Hearing the ruckus, Tala rushed into the room to see the man who once refused to show any emotions, shaking in rage, on his hands and knees, punching the floor repeatedly.

"Kai!" he rushed over to the male, only to be violently pushed away before the teen started punching the floor once more. "Stop it or you're going to break your hand and never blade Kinomiya again!"

Mid-swing the man froze, and a tear-streaked face turned to Tala.

"Shit." breathed the red-head, before rushing to his friend's side and wrapped his arms around him.

Kai fell apart.

"I'm going to kill him. For torturing Tyson. For threatening my mother!" he sobbed.

"Calm down. Kill who Kai?" Tala asked soothingly.

"Fucking Boris!" he screeched.

Tala's blood ran cold.

* * *

For Tyson and Max it was the first time they could spend time together in nearly a year. Ray had decided to volunteer at the new BBA and Kenny was helping his parents at the family noodle shop. Laying down on the grass by their spot by the river, a gentle breeze tousling their hair, Max turned to Tyson and asked, "So did you and Kai really blow up an island?"

"Yeah."

At the somber tone in the bluenette's voice, Max became concerned. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah..." he trailed off and looked Max dead in the eye. "But if I tell you, you gotta swear to me you won't tell anyone, especially Kai."

"Cross my heart, buddy."

Tyson took a deep breath. "Ok, so here it goes: Kai and I went out to Dr. B's island for a beybattle," he began.

"Well that's pretty smart, nothing around for miles."

"Yeah, that's what we thought too. And at first it was great, we were really getting into it, Dragoon and Dranzer were having an all-out war, but, there must've been some left over bombs, and everything just went...BOOM!"

Max blinked. "Wait. How could you walk away from something like that?"

"That's the thing Max...we didn't."

The American looked at his friend with confusion. "Okay, now you've lost me."

"Just hear me out. When I woke up, everything around me was just destroyed, and Kai's arm...Kai's bloody arm was just lying there next to me."

Max's eyes widened. "Dude."

Tyson continued. "Yeah, so I'm freaking out and I find Kai under a tree, and he's just totally messed up. Blood everywhere. Leg missing. I couldn't hear anything and...and...he died." His bangs covered his eyes but Max could see the tears rolling down the tanned cheeks. Putting an arm around his friend, he rubbed his back.

"It's ok Tyson. What happened next?"

"Dranzer. I asked her to help and she gave me her power and I cried all over him, but nothing happened. And I thought 'what the hell' and I kissed him. I kissed him Max! And then, Dranzer's power healed him and he came back to life!"

"Wow, you must have some amazing kissing skills then Ty." he joked. "Then what?"

"I-I don't know. I passed out and when I woke up and Dranzer was disappearing. Kai said he sacrificed her to save me."

Max looked up at his Japanese friend in shock. "Wow, that's pretty heavy."

"I know, right?"

They sat in silence, and let everything sink in for a moment, then, "So you kissed him?"

Tyson grinned. "I kissed him."

"Wow. What was that like ?"

"If he wasn't dead...probably like everything wonderful and amazing hitting you at once...it just felt right."

"Dude...so he doesn't know?"

Tyson shook his head. "And he won't, right?" he glared.

"I'm not saying a word."

Tyson grinned a big, goofy grin. "Now they only problem is I want to kiss him all the time now. It's driving me crazy!"

Max laughed. "So why don't you? He sacrificed Dranzer for you, he might feel the same way."

"Hehehe, I will if you confess to Ray." Max looked at him alarmed. "You told me when we got drunk that time."

"Oh, drunk me has a big mouth...Well that's not fair! Ray has Mariah, and Kai glares at anyone that crosses his path."

"Ray also left her to come here, how many times?! For all we know Kai is asexual or into aliens."

"Are you kidding, you're the World Champion, who doesn't love you?"

"Awwww, do you have have a crush on me Maxie?" said boy punched him playfully, which started a wrestling/tickle match. At last when their laughter died down, they looked up at the clouds above.

"Y'know, this would be a lot easier if I did love you Tyson." said Max wistfully.

"I know what you mean buddy. But, if there's feelings there..." he trailed off, but Max understood.

"I mean, we could try. Never know, right?"

"Exactly." They smiled at each other, then slowly leaned forward and their lips locked.

They reeled back immediately, spitting and wiping their mouths viciously.

"Well so much for that." giggled Max.

"Yeah. Sorry dude, we're better off as brothers."

"Much."

They smiled at each other and looked up at the perfect sky. "So...what kind of flowers are we having at our perfect, imaginary weddings?" asked Max playfully.

Tyson chuckled, then scrunched up his face. "Arg! Do I look like I know anything about flowers? I'll just be happy if the damn bastard shows up!"

Max broke into a fit of laughter. "Yeah, though chances are that you would get sidetracked with a beybattle and be an hour late, and that 'damn bastard' would get sidetracked by kittens and you'd both show up at the same time- just before everyone gives up on you both!"

Tyson chuckled. "The sad thing is that you're probably right." He checked his watch. "Ahh! Is that time already? Sorry Maxie, I gotta grab Kai's 4pm caffeine fix!"

"Ooooh, can I come with? I wanna see where he works!"

"Yeah, but we gotta step on it!" the Japanese teen grabbed the blonde's arm and lead him through the busy streets of Bay City.

As they ran, a single thought entered Max's mind, _Tyson, you have no idea how much I missed you buddy._

* * *

Setting foot in Kai's office- it looked like a tornado hit it. The desk was overturned, papers were scattered...There was a stapler lodged into the wall along with several holes.

"What are you doing here?"

Startled, Max and Tyson jumped and looked behind them, only to see Tala.

"Oh its only you, dude. Nice to see you again. Um, where's Kai?" Tyson asked warily.

The Vice-President hesitated, at a loss for words. One the one hand, Tyson could be exactly what Kai needed right now, on the other hand, Kai might need to be alone. Deciding to go with the barest of details, he answered, "Kai had an unpleasant phone call and I told him to go home."

"Yeah. _This_ -" he motioned around the room. "-is more than an unpleasant phone call. The only thing that could make him this made is losing a beybattle or-" he tensed and glared at Tala. "What did Boris do now?!"

Violet eyes widened in shock, the kid was smarter than anyone gave him credit for. "That's none of your business."

"Yeah, whatever, I'm going." he ran down the hall then stopped. "Max, buddy, you coming?"

The blonde looked around the room nervously. "Um, if he's this angry, then you should probably just go Ty."

The bluenette shrugged. "Suit yourself." He took off.

Tala looked at the American. "Was that wise?"

Max smiled. "Yeah. Kai isn't actually mad at Tyson, plus Tyson has a way of worming his way past people's barriers. Worst case is they have a fight and Tyson crashes at my place and when everything has calmed down, they just- forgive each other, like they always do."

Tala looked down the hall. "Let's hope, for Tyson's sake, that you're right."

* * *

Tyson didn't even head in the direction of Kai's house, he knew that the Russian wouldn't be there. Whenever that workaholic got mad or frustrated, there was only one thing that he did. Heading back towards the river, he heard the ever-recognizable shout of 'Let it rip!'. He turned the corner and was met with the sight of the dark-blue blade smashing through melon-sized rocks.

Oh yeah- Kai was pissed and focused. A deadly combination. But it wasn't just his rage, the wind felt hot and there was the faint smell of smoke and you could feel the raw power in the air. The Phoenix was also enraged. There was something more to this than just Boris.

"How long are you going to stand there Kinomiya?"

Damn...he kept forgetting how sharp the man's senses were. "Just trying to figure out between 1 and Hiro-benching-me-for-a-match how mad you are."

"Hn, you heard about that, huh?" his lips curving upwards slightly.

Tyson's confidence soared, he was on the right track. "Oh yeah, Max told me after the last tournament."

"Hn. I should've given him a haircut."

Tyson snickered before becoming serious again. "So what's eating at you? I've already figured out it's something to do with Boris, but it's gotta be more than that if you and Dranzer are this angry."

The Russian seriously contemplated telling the teenager to mind his own business, and his younger self would have. But a part of him didn't want to keep any secrets from Tyson, and he was too worn out to fight it. Recalling his blade, he looked up and sighed, before walking over and sat on the grass, next to Tyson. "Remember when I told you I wasn't sure if my mother gave a damn about me? Well I got my answer." he closed his eyes, recalling her voice, which made him warm all over. "She called me today. As it turns out, my Grandfather and Boris threatened her. She wasn't allowed to show affection." he growled out the last sentence.

"What?! What kind of twisted psychopaths keep a mother away from her child?"

"Ones whose only goal was to create the perfect army. No attachments. Only reliant on the men they take orders from." His hands began shaking. "All these years, and I thought she didn't care."

Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, Tyson said, "You can't blame yourself man. There's still time to make this right." Kai shook his head. "Why not?"

"She's being watched."

Tyson clenched his fist and jaw. "I see."

They sat in silence.

"So what do we do?"

"If I had an answer to that, I wouldn't be here." Kai suddenly found Tyson in front of him.

"Kai, I swear, someday, you will be reunited with your mother again. I never got to know mine, but the thought of you being kept apart from yours while she's living and breathing, well it's just too sad. I am here for you, however you need me. You and I own the two most powerful bitbeasts on the planet, and we've survived everything until now. We'll think of something."

Slowly, a smile spread across pale, stoic features. "You're right. We will." Looking up at the sky, Kai thought, _Hang on mom. We're coming for you._

* * *

There, that's it. The mid-season finale of Borderline. Still to come: Kai's birthday party and the tournament! See you all in February!


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: Takao Aoki owns all of the sexy beyblade characters...and it makes me wonder if he's gay just because they all are just so hot...like WTF? So you vultures, otherwise known as lawyers, you should work harder at putting the real criminals in jail, like Boris, instead of crazy fangirls.

So I'm BAAAAACK! And right on time too...I'm about 15 chapters ahead of this, which makes me happy and less panicky. As you all know, I have other stories as well I need to work on but...*slumps* I REALLY enjoyed my mini-vacation. But yup, back to the grind and writing for at least 20 hours a week.

To my wonderful reviewers: Tyka's Flower, Little A Granger, Angel Devastation, "Me" (otherwise known as TofuNinjaCat), CorynOfHoole, Fox, Killua17, FlamingIce94 (your review was amazing, thank-you again!), zutsu and adbhut (I MISSED YOU!)...thank-you for all taking the time and giving me feedback. You guys completely motivate me to keep going! To all of my lovely readers...I'm so happy to see you all here again.

Alright, I get it. I'll shut up and give you the next chapter that you all have been patiently waiting for...

* * *

"Wow, somebody splurged."

"Hn."

"Are you sure about this Kai?"

"I bought it didn't I?"

"Yeah, it just seems a little much if it's just the two of us, y'know?"

"Max and Ray need some place to stay too, right?"

"Well...in that case it's perfect!"

They were standing in front of a lavish 3-story house that had 6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, just a few streets down from the dojo. Kai had sprung it on Tyson that morning. All he had said was "We're moving.", packed up their very few possessions into a black truck (since when did Kai have a truck?) and now here they were.

Five days had passed since the Russian destroyed his office and the enigma had been basically living there ever since. Every attempt that Tyson had made to see him was met by the infamous cold shoulder or "I'm busy". Tala had stayed in town and did Kai's dirty work for him by actually throwing the baseball-capped teenager out of the building on multiple occasions.

Tyson really should have been more pissed off, but- this was Kai. He was Mr. Do-What-I-Want-When-I-Want-It, and the bluenette was pretty sure this was how his friend was choosing to cope, as Kai was always the type to bury himself in work or training until he snapped out of whatever funk he was in. Truth be told, if the bastard was just lazing around the house moping, _then_ Tyson would be worried.

Stepping inside the freshly-purchased estate, the kittens running ahead of him to explore the place, the blue-haired teenager looked around. The living room was HUGE! He looked to his friend who was leaning against the wall sipping on his mug of fresh coffee. "OH MY GOD! We could put a beydish in here!"

Kai smirked smugly. "Hn. Wait till you see the backyard." he chuckled softly to himself when the boy ran out the sliding glass door and he heard "Forget the dish! We could put an entire stadium back here! How did you ever find this place?"

"Money opens doors." The exact price to open this particular door was $1, 678,219 American dollars. Yeah...you could say he liked the place.

"Oh my God! Ray would die if he saw this kitchen! He's _so_ going to beybattle you for this house!" Tyson joked, looking at the 5-star appliances.

"Heh. He can go ahead and try, but that battle would be short-lived." He took another sip of his beverage. "Now, once you've picked your jaw up off the floor, come help unpack."

As if the boy hadn't heard a word he said, the bluenette exclaimed joyfully, "Oh my God! This refrigerator is a dream come true! It even has an ice maker!"

Outwardly Kai sighed and looked annoyed, but on the inside, he was grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

For the next 2 days their free time was spent unpacking and furnishing their new home; Well if furnishing meant that Kai would call and order things online, and Tyson would wait around all day and sign for the deliveries. Max, Kenny and Ray came over after it was clear that Tyson didn't read instruction manuals.

Today though, the day seemed to be dragging. Tala had taken over management and there was a steady, seemingly endless stream of paperwork that flooded the CEO's office. The only thing that was keeping Kai from burning everything to ash was the fact that the coffee was bottomless.

 _ **Ring. Ring Ring.**_

Finally! A reason to rest his aching hand! "Hiwatari."

"Happy Birthday Kai."

Kai just sat there, stunned. Not only at what day it was, but at who was on the other end of the line. He smiled softly. "Thanks...Mother."

"I-I hope its a good one. Maybe you can spend it with those friends of yours."

His heart melted. "You know about them?"

Her voice brightened. "Of course I do! I've been able to watch all of your matches. That boy Tyson seems like he's a handful though."

"He can be." He chuckled, "But I wouldn't have it any other way. He's strong too."

"I know, but you are too. I'm so proud that you're my son."

Pure elation filled his being.

"I gotta go. I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too Mom." The line went dead and a single tear made its way down his cheek and spashed onto the desk. He smiled. These phone calls meant that she cared and that she was not being as watched as carefully as she had been.

Hope was the best present that he could ever ask for.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. 7:05! Oh he was _so_ out of here. Fuck the paperwork.

* * *

When he got home, the house was dark, which was odd. Maybe Tyson was visiting Max or something. He unlocked the door and turned on the light.

"SURPRISE **! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAI!"  
**

Kai stood there, completely immobilized. The house was entirely furnished and decorated with cheap cardboard signs, and balloons were absolutely everywhere! But in the middle of all that chaos was his friends- his weird little make-shift family. Max, Kenny, Ray, Tala, Spencer, Bryan...and of course, Tyson.

"How did you find out?" he said a little too roughly, wasn't his fault though...damn tears were stinging his eyes.

"Oh The Chief here has his ways, and we just HAD to throw you a party!" said Tyson, with a huge grin.

Something clicked then and ruby eyes glared at Tala. "Those had better not have been fake documents."

The red-head just gave a sly grin. "Let's just say you won't have to do any paperwork until after Halloween."

"I should've known." The Birthday Boy looked down and saw a massive, 3-tier black cake, trimmed with red and gold frosting with an impressive figure of Dranzer at the top. Ray was grinning like the cat who caught the canary, as Kai arched an eyebrow. "Impressive."

"Glad you approve. Chocolate cake with butter cream frosting. Dranzer is made from chocolate fondant and Rice Krispe Squares. Max helped." The neko-jin grinned at the blonde, who blushed. "Keeping Tyson out of the kitchen was the hard part. That's where Spencer and Bryan came in handy."

"Oh yeah! We had a contest with would could blow-up the most balloons, which I totally won." said Tyson, puffing out his chest proudly.

"At least we found a use for all your hot air." teased Bryan.

Kai tried to imagine the hard-ass bladers of Russia filling up pink balloons until they were blue in the face, and he just lost it. At first it was just a snicker, but either due to all the stress or the phone call earlier, that snicker morphed into a giggle, which erupted into a fit of laughter that brought him to his knees, clutching his aching ribs and sides.

The laughter was contagious and soon everyone was in hysterics! Eventually the giggles died down, and everyone was left on the floor catching their breath.

"Alright. Who wants cake?" asked Ray.

After the mouth-watering, delicious creation was devoured, everyone decided it was time for presents, which Kai was eyeing warily. He was sure what the Blitzkrieg Boys got him was nothing short of mortifying. Max and Kenny's were probably safe, but Ray and Tyson were both wild cards. The tricky part was that they were all wrapped in the same black wrapping paper and the only way to distinguish between them was the different coloured stickers in the corners.

This idea had Tala written all over it...

"Yellow." Kai said finally.

"For MUSTARD!" cried Max as he got up from his place next to Tyson in the circle that they had created around Kai. He retrieved his gift and gave it to the Dranzer wielder. "Happy Birthday buddy!"

Carefully unwrapping the gift, Kai smiled when he revealed a tub of face paint, surprised to see that it was the exact brand he usually got too. "I remember for one of your battles you ran out just before a match and ended up grabbing a blue perminate marker and drew them instead. I realized then how important it was to you."

Kai looked at the blonde boy with soft eyes, touched that he had paid so much attention. "Thanks Maxie, I appreciate it." Max beamed and sat back down and Kai immediately opened the can and pulled out his compact mirror and painted on his iconic blue shark fins. Now this felt more like it.

Alright, he had 1 safe present left, 2 wild cards and 3 'gifts' that should never see the light of day. He looked at the remaining colours: Blue, red, purple, green, orange and pink. He eyed the pink one with suspicion. "Purple."

To his horror Spencer was the one to get up and he found himself remembering every awful thing he had ever done to the over-sized Russian- This was not going to be pretty.

Slowly he unwrapped the gift, expecting the worst, to his surprise a pair of black, fingerless gloves laid in his hands.

"I figured the ones you have now must be getting worn out. These even come with a place to keep your ripcord, like your old ones!"

Kai had never been so grateful that Spencer was not as cunning as Tala and Bryan in his entire life. "Yeah they were, thanks."

"Alright, pick another present!" said an enthusiastic Tyson.

5 gifts left. Pretty decent odds. "Green." Kenny stood up – Oh thank God. Safe for another turn. Shyly Kenny gave him his present...jeez! This thing was heavy! He revealed several weighted clothing items; Arm bands, anklets and extra weights for his scarf. Ah, good ol' practical Kenny. With all these accessories, he could be muscle training even at the office.

"Ha, just because you have some fancy new gear, doesn't mean that you can beat me."

Kai grinned wickedly at his rival. "Just you wait."

Kenny returned to his seat and Kai looked at the remaining presents...might as well get this over with... "Pink."

He was surprised for the 5th time that night when Ray was the one that got up. Inside the gift box were several Chinese teas and a book entitled "Calming Techniques for the Busy Businessman. "We've all noticed that you've looked really run down recently, so I was hoping these could help." He winked.

Curious now, Kai picked up the book and turned to random page...he couldn't stop staring. It was a sex manual. He gave Ray a look that said _'I'm not stupid.'_ but when Ray winked again, he opened it to the back cover and he could feel his cheeks become heated. It was Tyson, in all his glory, stark naked. Swallowing thickly, he could see mirth in those golden eyes and he forced himself to say, "Thanks Ray." as he carefully closed the book and focused his attention elsewhere, trying to be rid of the damn blush and his growing erection.

3 'gifts' left... "Orange." When Bryan gave him the gift, he just knew he was in for it...

His eyebrows rose. Leather clothes? Nice.

"You should change into them Kai!" Piped up Tyson. "That way we can all see!"

"Yeah! Fashion Show!" Urged Max.

The vein on Kai's forehead throbbed. He had _**better**_ not look like a damn stripper. Reluctantly he went up the stairs to change.

Tyson drummed his finger impatiently as the others engaged in idle chit-chat. He wanted to see the outfit! He had overheard how Bryan had spent forever looking for it, and he wanted to see what he had finally decided on. Though, if it was _him_ picking out the outfit, he would choose something out of comfortable material, loose baggy pants, a purple shirt with a black jacket and maybe a pair of sunglasses...

Kai's smoky voice broke through his thoughts. "So someone wanted a fashion show?" Tyson turned his head towards the staircase, his mouth instantly went dry and his pants became uncomfortably tight. Yeah...Bryan could pick out all of Kai's outfits from now on.

The Russian was wearing a black leather vest that exposed his navel and well-toned arms and complimented his ivory skin, making his striking crimson eyes stand out that much more. The pants hugged every curve of Kai's long slender legs like a second skin- and holy shit! Kai's ass was perfect! If he thought Kai was beautiful before, he looked absolutely ravishing now.

Tala did a wolf whistle and Bryan asked, "So what do you think?"

"It's more comfortable than I thought it would be." Kai said honestly as he returned to his spot on the floor and chose the next present. "Blue."

"Finally." Muttered Tyson as he gave his present to the 19-year old and presented it with a huge smile "Happy Birthday Kai!"

Kai delicately took the package from the boy's hands and ripped off the wrapping paper. An easy grip launcher. He remembered their conversation just shortly after they got back from camp, when he was driving Tyson to school – and all the perverted images that came with the conversation. He looked at the launcher, and sure enough there was a slight curve in the hilt.

His cheeks went red again.

"Oh and there's something else for you too!"

Kai looked through the wrapped paper and found a small box. Gingerly he opened it. It was a necklace. It had a long silver chain and – his eyes widened – a red phoenix pendant.

For an instant, he caught Tyson's eye and dropped all his barriers, letting Tyson see exactly how much it meant to him. The baseball-capped teen smiled and gave a small nod, his emotions clear as day.

Kai quickly fastened the necklace around his neck and placed the launcher in his vest pocket. He then turned to Tala and glared. Judging from the smug look on his vice-president's face, there was something up the red-head's sleeve. He grabbed the last present and teared off the wrapping paper and chuckled. "Handcuffs? Really Tala? Or did you get my gift confused with yours and Bryan's sex-toys?" Everyone snickered.

"Nope, because we're going to need them for our next game; 7 Minutes in Heaven."

* * *

Aren't you glad I'm back? Once you're done drooling, please send me a review telling me what you thought of this chapter! Next chapter will be posted next Thursday!


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own handcuffs, seven minutes in heaven, I Never or Vodka...

A huge thank you to Tyka's Flower, Angel Devastation, TofuNinjaCat, CorynOfHoole adbhut, Demons of the arch angel, kyuubi, Zutsu and chibiduo for the warm welcome backs and lovely reviews :) You'll be all happy to know I have written more chapters this week, so I'm staying well ahead of this story!

I think you will all enjoy this next chapter...I didn't really focus on making it wordy...it's just meant to be fan service and filler.

Warnings: ALL THE WARNINGS...this party kinda gets out of hand...damn Russians.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Nope, because we're going to need them for our next game; 7 Minutes in Heaven."

Both Max's and Kai's eyes widened while Ray and Tyson both had looks of confusion on their faces. "What's 7 Minutes in Heaven?" The Chinese teen asked.

Tala grinned. "I'm _so_ glad you asked." He held up an empty bottle of Russian Vodka. "We sit in a circle and spin the bottle, whomever it lands on will be sent to the closet – blindfolded and handcuffed. We will then choose a person to go into the closet with them and that person can do whatever they want for 7 whole minutes."

Ray crossed his arms, unimpressed. "That sounds like a rape waiting to happen."

Tala shrugged. "We're all friends here. Not like we can't hear them screaming."

Ray was thoughtful for a moment. "...Fine. I'm in."

"Me too." said Max.

"Awww yeah, count me in." Tyson looked at Kai. "That just leaves you, Mr. Birthday Boy."

"Yeah, whatever." He glared at Tala. "Just know that if that bottle lands on you Tala, I'm volunteering myself just so I can kick your ass for coming up with such a lame game."

"Fair Enough."

They sat in a circle and Kai spun the bottle first. They all held their breaths as it spun round and round. Slowly it slowed down and landed on Ray. "Great." He stood up. "Let's get this over with."

Tala and Bryan wasted no time escorting the neko-jin to the closet, when they returned, Bryan asked, "Any volunteers?"

Kai was about to nominate himself when Tyson spoke up, "I nominate Max!"

Max glared at his supposed 'friend', but was already being hauled off by Spencer. Kai gave the bluenette a side way glance. "You think goody-two-shoes will actually go through with it?"

"Might be his only chance to do so. I think he will."

"Well this game just got interesting." The dual-haired Russian looked down at his watch. "So what do we do for the next 6 minutes?"

Bryan pulled out a bottle of Vodka and some kool-aid pouches from his bag. "We'll play 'Never Have I Ever'."

Kai glared. "Tyson, Max and Kenny are all underage."

"Do you see any cops around? C'mon, don't be such a wet-blanket." Pressed Bryan.

Kai looked at Tyson and Kenny. "Its up to you guys."

Tyson grinned. "I'm in."

"I'll just stick with kool-aid." Said Kenny nervously.

Bryan shook the bottle, and looked at Kai, "You in, Sunshine?"

"Whatever."

The boys sat in a circle again and Bryan started, "Never have I ever kissed a girl."

To everyone's surprise, only Spencer took a shot, not even flinching as the liquid burned it's way down his throat. "Wow, way to go buddy!" cheered Tyson.

"Yeah. She was a pretty little red-head. We were 6." He smiled. "Never have I ever lost to Tyson." Kai and Tala shot him murderous glares as they, along with Kenny, took a drink.

Blood still boiling from the last statement, Kai said with a smirk,"Never have I ever had a threesome." Spencer, Bryan and Tala all took a drink, "Hn. Thought so."

"You're more than welcome to join." said Bryan with a wink.

"I'd rather shave off a homeless man's beard and use it as my own personal loofah than have sex with you."

Tyson burst out laughing. "Oh my god!" He looked at Bryan, "Is Kai always like this when he's drinking?"

Bryan chuckled, "Pretty much. His insults get pretty scathing."

"No kidding." He nudged Kenny, "You're turn buddy."

"Never have I ever masturbated at someone else's house." Everyone's mouths dropped and they all looked at Kenny, the supposedly 'innocent' one out of them all, wondering if they heard right. But when the child gave them a cocky smirk, all 5 of them took a drink, Tyson breaking out into a coughing fit right after he swallowed the harsh drink.

"Man, how can you guys stand this stuff?" asked the Dragon Master with a sour face.

"Simple: We're Russian."

Tyson rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Stop being a baby and Man-up Tyson." said Kai. "You chose to drink. I don't want to hear your whining. How hard could it be to _throw your head back_ _and take the shot at the back of your throat_?"

Tyson glanced at Kai. Did he just-?

The timer went off. Tala got up to let Max out of the closet. "Hey what are you guys playing?" asked the blonde taking a seat beside Tyson.

"Never have I ever! You gotta join!" encouraged the blue-haired teen.

Max glanced at Kai warily, "Really? You don't mind us drinking?"

"I'm no babysitter."

Just as Max sat down, Ray walked into the room and eyed the shot glasses and looked to Kai, "Aren't there people a little too young to play?"

"Everyone can do what they want." The enigma said simply, really not giving a damn.

"Yeah, c'mon Ray. We've been around the world and our birthdays are only a couple months away. Lighten up dude!"

"Well you do have a point there." He took a seat next to Max and poured himself a shot.

Kai spun the bottle again and this time Kenny was the one who was tied up in the closet.

"I'm going. I gotta make that little twerp pay for that masturbation question." volunteered Spencer as he strode towards the closet.

Tyson was about to protest, when Kai put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Don't get so worked up. Spencer is a softie."

"He better be." Muttered the Dragoon wielder, "Never have I ever seen anyone in this room naked!" Bryan, Tala, Kai and Ray all took a shot. Tyson looked inquisitively at Ray, "Dude, when?!"

The raven-haired man just grinned. "You don't wanna know."

It was Max's turn. "Never have I ever broken Ikea furniture!"

"Random, yet I've done it." said Tala incredulously, taking a drink with Tyson, Bryan and Kai.

"Never have a I ever..." started Ray, "...kissed a really close friend, just to see what it was like." Everyone but Kai took a drink.

Max stared at Ray in disbelief. "Really?! Not even Mariah?"

"Nope. Who did you kiss?"

"Hey! This isn't truth or dare!" Tyson interjected, "He doesn't have to say a word."

"That's because it was you, wasn't it?" Kai stated, point blank.

Max jumped to Tyson's rescue. "As he said, this is not a truth or dare."

There was an awkward silence before Tala decided to break it. "Never have I ever dyed my hair." Max was the only one who took a drink, yet everyone looked at Kai. "Really?"

"Really."

Bryan's turn. "Never have I ever masturbated while there was an animal in the room."

Kai shot the silver-haired Russian a glare before taking another shot. Everyone looked at him, slightly mortified, he snapped, "I had 10 cats and a single bedroom, save the judgemental looks for someone who deserves it. Never have I ever kissed someone on the lips while they were unconscious, whom I wasn't dating."

Tyson was the only one who took a drink. "Again, this isn't Truth or Dare, so I have the right to remain silent."

Before anyone could press further, the timer went off. Tala let Spencer out of the closet first, then unchained Kenny, who walked into the room shaking and rubbing his arms rapidly. "Whoever decided to put bugs on me, or make it feel like there was bugs on me, it was NOT FUNNY!" He sat down beside Tyson and Max, far away from the Blitzkrieg Boyz as possible, he had a feeling only one of them would find some sort of sick pleasure in doing something like that.

Once again Kai spun the bottle, it spun rapidly, everyone watched in anticipation as it started to slow, round and round it went until it finally landed on...Tyson. The teen laughed nervously. "Hehehehehe, go easy on me guys," he glared, "and for the love of beyblades NO SPIDERS!" He followed Tala to the closet.

When the red-head returned he turned to Kai and smirked, "Alright, your turn."

Seeing that no one else was protesting, he sighed and stalked off to the closet, with Tala following closely behind. When the door opened, his breath hitched.

Tyson's arms were chained above his head, his shirt had rided up slightly, exposing his flat stomach and there was a blindfold over his eyes. Tempting didn't even come close to describing what he looked to Kai right now. "Happy Birthday Kai." Tala whispered in his ear before he turned around and shut the door.

When Tala returned to the living room he commanded that the timer to be set for 30 minutes. At that point, everyone caught onto his plan and they set the timer and returned to their game.

Inside the closet Kai was at war with himself. Tala was cunning, no doubt about that. The 5 shots had him not thinking clearly, so he tried to think about this as logically as possible: This was a game. The rules were that they were to stay in here for 7 whole minutes, one of them was tied and the other person could do whatever they wanted within that time frame. Rules that he and Tyson both agreed to. Plus Tyson had the power to say "No" at any point. Tyson also had no idea it was him. Plus it was his birthday.

Oh what the hell.

Slowly he made his way to the beautiful boy and stroked his cheek gently, making Tyson gasp softly. Experimentally he placed a finger on Tyson's bare stomach and moved it up slowly, Tyson shuddered and his breathing quickened. So the little Dragon was responsive and enjoying it. Good. He trailed his finger up his chest, up his neck until his thumb brushed along Tyson's bottom lip.

Kai connected their lips.

Electricity surged through both of their beings and they both shuddered. Kai pulled away, but Tyson recaptured his lips. Kai trailed his tongue under Tyson's bottom lip, asking permission, and Tyson obliged and they deepened the kiss. Kai could taste the alcohol and chocolate, but there was another taste. A taste uniquely Tyson and Kai was immediately hooked. His tongue plunged deeper into the hot, wet cavern and a delicious moan reached his ears.

His hands moved on their own accord, moving down to the teen's hips they slowly caressed Tyson's back and sides, earning him an even deeper moan than the last. He slid the yellow shirt and red jacket up and deftly intertwined them with the handcuffs that restrained the boy. His lips then slowly kissed down Tyson's jawline, down his neck, to his chest, down to his stomach and to the hem of his jeans. He gave the area a small lick and he watched the beautiful angel shudder and gave a strangled gasp. "N-No. Not there."

Kai could hear the sharpness in Tyson's voice and obeyed, slowly licking his way back up, making the teen writhe in pleasure. Stopping at the neck, he bit down on the main artery and sucked, making the boy throw back his head in pleasure as a high-pitched mewl escaped the boy's lips. Kai reclaimed those petal-soft lips a second later and found the other's legs wrapped around him tightly. Automatically his hands wrapped around the boy's round, delectable ass and he squeezed it, eliciting another moan from the teenager.

Kai's eyes widened and he let out a growl as a mix of plain and pleasure overtook his senses as Tyson bit and sucked on his neck. An all too familiar heat pooled into his stomach and brought him back to reality.

He was inside a closet, making out with his secret love, who was chained up, in a game of 7 Minutes in Heaven, while under the influence of strong, Russian vodka. One thing was very clear; If he didn't stop right now, he would release Tyson of his restraints and fuck him on the floor.

Hell no.

He gently pulled the boy forward by his chin and gave him a gentle, yet passionate kiss, then slowly pulled away and walked out.

He was met by the sight of drunkenness everywhere. Tala and Bryan were having sex on the sofa, he could hear puking in the bathroom, while Spencer was dancing with a mop in his skives. Wait, where was Kenny? He looked around and saw the nerd hiding behind a flowerpot in the hallway.

This is why he stayed far, far away from Russia. Luckily, he was sobering up. He walked into the living room, ignoring the fucking rabbits, picked up Tala's jeans and fished for the keys to the handcuffs. He checked the time...1:47am. Damn bastards left him in the closet for over an hour. He thought over his situation carefully. Right now he couldn't look sober without Tyson becoming suspicious. He tossed the keys over to Kenny. "Let Tyson out. If he asks, I went to bed a long time ago."

Kenny fumbled for the keys but noticed the nasty red mark on Kai's neck. "What? Aren't you going to do anything?" He gestured to the chaos around them

"Why should I?"

"It's your house!"

"And they'll be the ones to clean it tomorrow." He said darkly, stalking off to his bedroom upstairs.

Kenny sighed and opened the closet, gasping in surprise when he saw a bare-chested Tyson with the beginnings of a large bruise on his neck. No wonder Kai wanted to disappear. He quickly freed Tyson and removed the blindfold, as soon as it was off, Tyson asked, "Who was in here with me?"

"Don't even try to ask me that!" he chided.

"Yeah, but-"

"No 'buts' Tyson!" They stepped into the living room...just in time to watch Tala cum all over Bryan.

"WHOA! Guys get a room!" Shouted Tyson, averting his eyes from the explicit scene before him.

"Wha? Oh Tyson, buddy! Come join us!" Bryan slurred.

"I'm not nearly drunk enough for that." Murmured the bluenette. He looked around. "Where's Kai?"

"He decided to turn in early." Kenny didn't miss the look of disappointment on his friend's face.

"Oh. What kind of guy leaves his own birthday party early?!"

"From the looks of things, a sane one..."

Tyson sighed. "I'm going to bed, Chief. If you want you can have one of the guestrooms."

"Thanks Tyson. Goodnight."

"Night." Tyson went to his room and crashed into his mattress. His mind filled with thoughts of the mysterious stranger who was in the closet with him. The person tasted like alcohol, chocolate, mint and something else he couldn't even try to describe. Giving up on sleep, he strode to the other side of the room and opened the curtain, sat on the window sill and stared out at the full, silvery moon. "I really am hoping that person was you, Kai."

A soft mew broke into his thoughts, and he looked over to the grey and white kitten. "Kei? What are you doing in here buddy? Did Kai accidentally lock you out?" For an answer, the cat glared at the door and growled. "Alright, alright I guess I can let you in." He stood up, his feet padding soundlessly over the soft, white carpet as he opened his door and walked across the hallway to Kai's He opened the door just wide enough to let the cat in. He glanced into the room and was left breathless.

Kai was lying on the bed, in just a pair of black briefs, the moonlight gave his body an ethereal glow. His brown eyes trailed up smooth, milky-white legs, to the perfectly toned stomach, up the strong chest that was rising and falling slightly, to the beautiful and serene sleeping face of his crush. He drank up the sight for a moment longer before closing the door; Having no idea had he been just 5 minutes sooner, he would have seen quite a different sight. He walked back to his bedroom and sweat dropped.

There were 9 cats on his bed, positioned in such a way that there was absolutely no room for him. How did that happen?

Sighing, he tried another room. Spencer and Kenny were in it.

Another. Max and Ray were sleeping peacefully, clutching barf buckets.

He opened the last door, but when he saw 2 white asses, he quickly closed it shut again.

That left Kai's room.

Quietly he snuck in and laid beside the elder, unfortunately he wasn't as stealthy as he thought. "Kinomiya?" came Kai's husky, sleepy voice.

"Darn fuzzballs took over my bed and all the rooms are occupied." The teen explained.

"Hn. Damn cats."

"Bryan and Tala are scarring."

"Hn. Damn them."

"My head's fuzzy and the room feels like it's spinning."

"Damn vodka." Tyson felt Kai grab him and pull him so they were chest to chest. "Sleep. Work tomorrow." Hearing the Russian's steady heartbeat and feeling the strong arms around him, calmed Tyson's mind. He was asleep seconds later.

* * *

There you go...an actual proper kiss and full out make-out session. Happy? Please review!


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: Oh c'mon lawyers...I have $20, like that's it. That's all you're getting out of me!

Hello beautiful people! So um...yes my Valentine's fic is late, that's because there's this thing called "overtime" that makes it very difficult to ignore. It's money. I love money. I've also been lazy...really lazy...as in I'm almost too lazy to type this out lazy. **Slumps** Too early to go on another hiatus? Damn...  
Well, you'll be all happy to know, while my one-shots are not getting written, Borderline is. I have maybe 5-10 chapters left before it's done. Yes, I know, exciting right?

Thank-you to Tyka's Flower, Angel Devastation, TofuNinjaCat, CorynOfHoole, adbhut, Demons of the arch angel, Zutsu, HibarixTsunaxlover and Little A Granger for reviewing the last chapter, and to my wonderful friend Kira (my lovely wifey) for reading it right hot from the press and letting me know what she thought in person. If you must know, she cursed Kai's morals and was really disappointed I didn't let them screw in the closet...and may have called me a bitch...I hope this satisfies at least one of you.

WARNINGS: Um...all of them? More fluffiness and a tad bit more smut?

Enjoy another light chapter of Borderline!

* * *

The following morning everyone awoke with bleary eyes and pounding heads to a note on the front door, which read:

 _Nobody leaves until this place is spotless- OR ELSE!_

They paled, looking around at the empty liquor bottles, left over food, puke, overturned chairs, garbage and groaned.

"I'll start the coffee." grumbled Tala.

"I'll make breakfast." mumbled Ray, yawning.

"I'll find the Advil." moaned Max.

An hour later, feeling less like death, the men started cleaning.

"Hmm, I wonder if Tyson and Kai got together." mused Max as he picked up the empty glass bottles, (just how much did they drink last night?).

"Nah." Kenny answered, tossing the garbage into a large garbage bag. "Kai decided to be Kai and not reveal himself. But-" he giggled, "I think it's safe to say they had fun."

Tala and Bryan paused their scrubbing, "How would you know?" Bryan asked.

"Because they were both sporting huge hickeys last night."

The room went silent before Tala exclaimed, "UNBELIEVABLE! We literally locked them in a closet, they made-out, and they're _**still**_ not together?!" He then muttered, "We should've gotten them drunk."

"Oh well, think of it this way; They're getting closer. Now that they've had a taste, they'll probably want more." reasoned Max.

"Well they better. I have half a mind to tell Tyson that Kai was in the closet with him." Tala threatened.

"Tyson would just laugh it off and tell you to quit messing with him." Ray sighed. "It's better to let them find their own way, rather than forcing it. The perfect moment will strike...eventually." He resumed his dish washing, "Y'know, in my village the cook never cleans!"

"Tough shit, Kon. You're stuck here with the rest of us." said Bryan flatly, then a wicked smile twisted his features. "We could snoop." Everyone looked at the silver haired Russian with looks of confusion. "We could snoop through Kai's room. Maybe find some blackmail to get out of this." Everyone stopped what they were doing and eyed the bathroom where they had all knelt at the porcelain throne the night before. Who knew what foul mess was in there? They had been all too terrified to go in. Without saying a word, they all made a mad dash up the staircase to the moody-Russian's bedroom, and Tala touched the door handle.

 _ **Hiss!**_

They all looked down to see Kei baring his fangs, growling warningly.

"Heh, what are you gonna do? Claw me to death?" chuckled the red-head.

 _ **HISS!**_

The group turned around and was met by 9 snarling cats. Their hair was standing on end, fangs bared, they looked like they were ready to attack at any second.

"What? Did Kai train his cats to guard his bedroom?" questioned Bryan.

"Sure looks that way?" said Ray, taking a step back.

"Can't you communicate with them or something Cat-boy?" Tala asked.

Ray glared. "No, and even if I could, I doubt they would listen. These cats appear to be highly loyal to Kai and Tyson."

"So what do we do?" asked Kenny, wishing that he had stayed downstairs.

"I recommend we all step away from the door and go back downstairs." said Ray calmly.

"I don't see why we don't kick the little one out of the way and just same the door behind us." suggested Bryan, not believing that they were actually in this mess.

"Not a good idea. If anything happens to her kitten, the momma looks like she would tear out your throat. And even if we made it in, that kitten is **Kai's** cat. I don't want to imagine what he would do to _any_ of us if his baby was injured." Taking the collective silence as an agreement, Ray looked at Kei and said "Sorry, dumb idea we know. We'll leave." He and the others slowly backed away from the door and backed slowly down the steps. The 10 cats snarling at them until they reached the bottom step, before they resumed looking like pictures of innocence.

"I can't believe that just happened." said a bewildered Tala as he sat down on the couch. "What the fuck Hiwatari?"

"How the hell did bird-boy, the coldest bastard in Russia- who's bitbeast is a freaking Phoenix for fuck sakes; get _cats_ of all things to do his bidding?" questioned Bryan.

Everyone looked to Ray.

"How the hell should I know?!" he snapped.

After a few moments of baffled silence, Max said, "Alright, how's this?" Everyone's heads turned towards the American. "We all have a sudden-death beybattle: First one out of the dish has to clean the bathroom and the last one in the dish is exempt from any cleaning." Everyone looked at each other and nodded.

"What about short-stuff?" asked Spencer, pointing to Kenny, "He's a rookie."

"What about me?! I didn't drink _and_ I'm the one who got Tyson out of the closet."

"Yeah. It wouldn't be fair." agreed Ray, looking over to Max.

"The Chief is exempted!" said Max enthusiastically, "Game on!"

After an intense 2-hour beybattle, Spencer was the one who was forced to clean the washrooms, while Tala was the one who got to sit-out. They had just managed to get the house cleaned when Tyson and Kai walked through the door. "Oh wow. Everyone is still here?" marvelled Tyson, "It's like 7:00pm!"

Everyone, except Tala and Kenny groaned.

"Well, if you guys wanted, you could all stay for another night, right Kai?" Offered the bluenette, giving a side-glance to his roommate.

"Yeah, whatever." The dual-haired male agreed, bending down to pick up Kei who trotting up to him. The kitten then perched himself on his shoulder.

"Sweet! I'll order Chinese!" Declared Tyson.

"Oh! Make sure you get lemon chicken!" said Bryan.

"And deep-fried wontons!" chimed in Kenny, his mouth watering.

"Tyson, a word?" Something about the look in his eyes, made Tyson give his rival his full attention.

"Y-Yeah." Tyson turned back around to the group. "Write me a list!" he laughed as he followed his roommate upstairs to Kai's room. Shutting the door, he asked "What's up Kai?"

"Here." He handed him a black shinny card with a red Phoenix on it in the bottom left hand corner.

Mahogany eyes widened. "Is this your debit card?"

"Yes. I'm going to take a shower and make a few phone calls. Pin number is 1015." The Hiwatari disappeared into the adjoining bathroom, leaving the blue-haired teen shell-shocked.

1015 was _**Tyson's**_ pin number. It was the day he and Kai met.

* * *

As soon as the bathroom door was locked Kai's cool composure fell apart. His heart was racing, his chest heaving, his mind erratic. He ran his hand through his bangs.

Today was hell.

Every time he looked at Tyson, he saw the boy chained, completely helpless. He could still taste him. Smell him. His body demanded more. He had forced himself not to pin the delectable teen to the wall and completely ravish him _**so**_ many times today. The urge to fuck him senseless was overwhelming.

This morning he had taken advantage of the sleeping boy and kissed him any place he could reach.

He didn't know what to do. He was completely losing control.

Turning on the shower, he removed his black turtleneck (he had seen the hickey on his neck that morning and had to cover it before Tyson saw and put two and two together), his black dress pants and boxers, and carefully laid his Phoenix pendant on the sink and stepped in, but not even the scalding water could take his mind off the midnight angel. He was so sensitive and pent-up that just grasping himself sent him over the edge; not like it helped. He was rock-hard seconds later. "Fuck!" He stroked himself vigorously, using the water as lubrication and he brought himself to completion once again, collapsing against the shower wall, his breathing laboured.

Once again the image of Tyson submitting to him resurfaced and his one-eyed soldier stood at full attention again. He looked down. "Are you serious?" If there was ever a time Kai wished he was a girl, this was it.

With no other options, he forcing himself to bring up the one dreaded memory that still gave him nightmares to this day; Tyson's grandfather in a speedo. At once his dick finally went limp and he sighed in relief. He looked up at the smooth, white ceiling. How much more of this could he take?

* * *

"So ret me shee if I have dis right now," the Chinese lady on the other end of the phone spoke, in heavily accented English, "You want the Party 8 dinner with 4 boxes of deep fried wontons, 4 large wor wonton soup and extra remon chicken."

"Yeah. Said Tala, wishing he got Ray to order instead.

"Okay, 248 dollar. 1 hour."

"Kay." He hung up and grinned, "Well that will be a nasty surprise for Kai."

"Yeah, but what if he doesn't pay?" Bryan pointed out.

"Got that covered." The Wolf Master help up a silver debit card, "Company Card." Bryan chuckled.

"So what do we do for an hour?" asked Max.

"I know!" Came Tyson's voice from the staircase. They heard some wrestling and a "thud" before Tyson thundered back down the carpeted staircase, with a large, rectangular box in his hands. "Monopoly!"

"I call the race car!" exclaimed Max.

"Hey, no fair! You're always the race car!" protested Tyson.

"And so it begins..." Tala chuckled darkly.

* * *

When Kai came down the stairs, dressed in a pair of well-fitted black jeans and a dark-purple, sleeveless turtleneck, the Pheonix pendant swaying slightly as he walked, he wondered what fresh hell he had just walked into.

Everyone was shouting obscenities at each other about something called "Park Place".

When he looked down at what was on the table, it all became clear. He smirked. This debate was over. "If you would all shut-up," he said loudly, his voice cutting through the chatter, forcing everyone's attention on him. "It's clearly written in the rules that you don't get money from Park Place."

"You don't?" questioned Tyson, all colour draining from his face.

"There are no hand-outs in life, kid. Build your empire from the ground-up."

"Shit. If Tala hadn't placed so many hotels right from the get-go, I'd be doing fine!" pouted Tyson, crossing his arms.

Something about that statement bothered Kai. "Did he put houses on first?"

"No. He had a lucky break and had enough money to go straight to hotels." explained Max.

Kai arched an eyebrow. "Did any of you actually read the rules?" The collective silence around the room answered his question and everyone made a mad dash to the rulebook.

"Tala you cheat!" exclaimed Tyson angrily, "You said you knew the rules by heart!"

The red-haired Russian gave a sly grin before shrugging his shoulders. "Oops."

"No fair...I want a re-match!" whined Tyson, everyone but Tala nodded in agreement.

"Fine then. Deal me in. Kenny's Banker." Kai ordered before going into the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of wor wonton soup, then put a few slices of lemon chicken into the cats' food dishes and returned to the living room. "Let's play."

* * *

Later that night, as they were all headed to their separate bedrooms, Kai heard Tyson's timid voice say, "Um...Kai? Look." Kai peered into his rival's room and his heart melted. Meko, Kouken and the not-so-little kittens were all in Tyson's bed. Then reality hit.

Not again!

He took a step forward into the room, with full intention of shooing the felines when Meko did something she had never done before.

She hissed. At him.

Kai stood there, stunned.

"Kai?"

He turned around. "Come on Tyson."

"Are you two fighting?"

"She's just being at bitch." The Russian muttered. But when they had crawled into bed together, Tyson snuggled into his chest, he couldn't help but thank that little 'bitch'.

* * *

And that's it! Another chapter done.

 **IMPORTANT: DO YOU WANT KAI OR TYSON TO WIN THE TOURNAMENT? LEAVE ME YOUR VOTE IN A REVIEW!**


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I don't own Beybla-...Alright, I'm tired of stating things I don't own. I own brownies. I make amazing brownies. Maybe not the idea of them, but damn, I make good brownies damn it! I also own a shitload of pens, that frequently get stolen by my co-workers. By the way, can any of you lovely writers point me in the direction of some really amazing pens?

** **Shoots up middle fingers at lawyers** **So not dealing with you assholes today!

Rant: So this week in the life of RPS, some of you know that my little girl has been sick, so I've been doing my job of making her feel better, and it's been working wonderfully. We got new uniforms at work, which are basically black chef shirts...and they look god-awful on me. I have curves because I am a woman...I would appreciate something that doesn't make me look like a frumpy funeral attendant. I also have managed to destroy 2 bras in the past week... ** **looks down** ** Boobs, why? I know you would love to be running around free, but you're just too big for that. ** **stuffs them into an old, emergency bra** Also...I have found out the hard way that the uniforms are not flame retardant...(I just melted a hole into the sleeve). My co-workers are laughing.**

Big thank-yous to Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, Angel Devastation, TofuNinjaCat, CorynOfHoole, Demons of the arch angel, Zutsu and Violet Hiwatari for reviewing and letting me know your thoughts on the last chapter!

 **HUGE SHOUT OUT TO LITTLE A GRANGER! She helped me come up with a name for Mr. Big shot Nathan Rivers. LOVE YOU!**

Last fluffy chapter before the chaos happens, so I hope you all enjoy it! Also I was up until 8:15am writing this...

* * *

Over the next few weeks, they all settled into the chaos quite comfortably. Upon hearing that Max and Ray were staying until the 20th, Tala announced that the Blitzkrieg Boyz were staying until then as well, especially since the acting Vice-President Lelouch, was proving to be quite competent. Kai made use of Tala and put him in charge of conducting a daily manager's meeting and providing training to those that needed it.

Then came the day where Kai accidentally took Tala's favourite pen. Tala responded by stealing Kai's stapler, and Kai hid Tala's favourite office chair...it escalated into a full-out prank war. Unbeknownst to each other, both had bribed Tyson with sweets to help out with their pranks.

Taking advantage of the situation, Tyson decided to take revenge for all the times they had given him the cold shoulder and came up with his own pranks, knowing that they would just blame each other. This included putting laxatives into Tala's coffee, setting up a rather horrifying Nicholas Cage image underneath Kai's toilet seat, and putting air horns, whopping cushions and anything else he could think of underneath their chairs.

Best of all? The Chief still had access to Kai's system and was able to hack into the security cameras, so everyone at the house could watch the hilarity of it all. They now had a hard time keeping a straight face whenever the Blitzkrieg Captain walked into the room, after watching him spray himself with his own urine, thanks to a little bit of plastic wrap on the toilet seat, courtesy of Tyson.

Late afternoons and early evenings were spent training. The Blitzkrieg Boys and the former Bladebreakers made good competition for each other, and they could see how they measured up and how much more work they still had to do to stand a chance of making it to the tournament finals.

Friday nights were considered game nights, and unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you looked at it, Bryan had the alcohol ready by the time everyone got home. This was usually followed by drinking games, eventually resulting in Tyson being chained and blindfolded in the closet, and Kai kissing him feverishly until he just just barely hold himself back and retreat to the sanctuary of his bedroom, until Tyson decided to come to bed.

The cats had entirely claimed of what used to be Tyson's bedroom for themselves, thus forcing said man to sleep with Kai and the older male waking up to the most throbbing, painful, erection that he wasn't able to get rid of until he could get to work and lock himself in his office to let himself go.

Then there was that one fateful day where Tala had gotten past his security system and caught him mid-stroke with his fingers inside his ass.

Tala had wisely said nothing, instead he handed him a package of light-scented baby wipes and a couple of nude photos of Tyson.

 _ **How the fuck were he and Ray getting these pictures?!**_

* * *

Before anyone knew it, the morning of the 20th arrived. Max and Tyson gave each other a tearful good-bye and everyone wished each other luck in the tournament before going their separate ways as their flights were called, leaving Kai and Tyson alone at the terminal. **(1)** Before Tyson could utter a word, Kai said, "Zip it. We have errands to run." and the enigma turned around and headed back out to the car, so the only thing the bluenette could do was follow.

As it turned out, those errands consisted of moving all of Tyson's things into another bedroom, and turning his former bedroom into a cat sanctuary.

Kai had ordered a bunch of cat trees, beds, wall steps and wall steps from what had to bed the most insane online pet-store run by the most obsessed, bat-shit crazy cat lovers the world had to offer. But even Tyson had to admit that it was fun.

Now that everyone had left, the house had a calm, peaceful atmosphere that it hadn't had in weeks. That night, they immensely enjoyed watching a movie without people talking the entire time.

The weeks came and went and the rivals discovered that they were decent roommates. Kai found out if they had a cleaning schedule and stuck to it, Tyson actually stayed fairly clean. They also made an agreement that he wouldn't step foot into the World Champion's room and if he did, he wouldn't complain. At least until it smelled. Despite everything though, there was usually a pair of Tyson's jeans in the middle of the living room floor, as Tyson liked to walk around the house in just his boxers- Nope. Kai was not going to complain about that one...

About mid-September, with a month left before the start of the tournament, the boys decided to start their own solo training. Now the routine was that they would get home around 5:00, quickly grab something to eat before doing chores and change. They would leave at 7:00. It was common for one or both of them to be out past midnight and return looking like they had been hit by a truck, completely exhausted. They said nothing about it. This was apart of beyblading. This was the price they paid for staying on this path. They both knew the pain, the blood, the sweat and tears would be all worth it in the end. This is how they got better and pushed past their limits. This is why they were the best, and both worthy of the title of "World Champion".

Weekends were actually less crazy. Saturday's were catch-up. Catch-up on paperwork, catch-up on housework as it was common to have a sink full of dishes or 4 loads of laundry. But with the weekends came the one thing that sparked shouting matches and long periods of silence: Grocery shopping. Grocery shopping was the one thing that made Kai want to rip his hair out. No matter how stealthy he was, the moment the car unlocked, Tyson was in the passenger seat before he could put his seat belt on.  
Kai knew how to shop. Go around the outside and avoid the isles if at all possible, only get fresh fruit, veggies, meat, milk, bread and of course, bagels.

Tyson had other ideas.

Ruby eyes glared at the addicting, chemical, sugary nightmare of empty calories that his roommate just threw in the cart, without a second thought, he threw it back on the shelf. He paused to look at the steaks, but as soon as he turned back around, the offending product was once more back in his cart. He glared daggers. "No."

"Oh c'mon! You can't tell me you don't like sweets," Tyson whined, "I watched you eat your birthday cake!"

"That's different. Ray made it."

"Oh, so you prefer things homemade then?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Don't leave without me!"

"Kinomiya!" Kai shouted, but Tyson had already disappeared down one of the isles. Unsure of what the teenager was planning, the Hiwatari decided to make the most of the silence and finish the rest of the shopping. If he beat Tyson to the register, it would make it that much easier to say no.

Normally he wouldn't be so strict and let is roommate grab a small package of chips or a box of cookies, but the tournament was less than 2 weeks away. Both he and Tyson had to be in top physical condition, especially for when they met in the dish. He couldn't afford to have any temptations in his house. He had even cleaned out his treat drawer at work.

It wasn't until he was at the register, the cashier just ringing the last of his items when his rival returned. He braced himself for an armload of candies, sweets and other garbage, quite surprised when the base-ball capped teen put flour, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, eggs and a few other miscellaneous items on the conveyer belt. Seeing nothing he could object to, he said nothing and paid for the items.

When they got home, Tyson said, "Hey you probably have a lot of work to do, don't worry about the groceries, I'll take care of it. Maybe if you're done early we can watch that "Kingsmen" movie?"

Kai raised an eyebrow. Something was definitely up. But Tyson was right...he did have work to do. "Fine. Don't do anything stupid."

"Give me a little credit, would you? Sheesh." grumbled Tyson as he started putting away the groceries.

Praying to whatever Gods were listening that whatever the bluenette was planning didn't involve burning down the kitchen, the CEO went into his room and started his laptop.

A couple hours later Kai's nose caught whiff of a sweet aroma and his stomach growled. Typing up on last e-mail to the managers technology department, informing them that their would be a surprise drill sometime this week, he sent off the message and turned off his laptop and went downstairs to see what his roommate was cooking.

He walked into the kitchen and his jaw dropped. Tyson was in this adorable white apron, there was flour on his left cheek, in one hand was a cookbook and he was stirring a pot that smelled like something delicious with the other. Kai smiled. Kinomiya looked like a housewife. His housewife. Leaning against the door frame, he was happy to just look for now and fantasize as he watched the pony-tailed teen bounce from task to whatever self-appointed task, with a grace that Kai only ever saw in a battle.

Tyson was beautiful.

Then same old, stupid Tyson shone through. He smacked his face on a cupboard door. Kai chuckled, alerting the teen to his presence.

"Kai! I thought you were working!"

"I finished." he lied. There was always work to do.

"Oh. Holy shit it's almost seven. I got carried away! Gimme a sec Kai."

If Tyson had been truly his housewife, right then and there, he would've gone up to him, wrap him arms around that lithe waist and kiss his neck until Tyson relaxed against him.

But alas, he was only his nearly irresistible roommate. Kai sat down and waited for Tyson on the couch.

The boy came out a few minutes later with two plates of piping hot food in his hands with two waters. "There we go! Spaghetti and garlic bread!"

Kai raised his eyebrow once more. This was not what he was smelling earlier.

"Alright, movie time!" Tyson turned on the movie and they immersed themselves within the story. About half-way through, Tyson paused the movie. "Pee-break!" He announced and made a mad-dash for the washroom.

The Russian realized his own bladder was uncomfortably full and used the upstairs washroom to relieve himself and re-fill his water glass. When he returned, Tyson was already on the couch, their supper dishes had been cleared off the coffee table and had been replaced with something else- brownies.

Everything made sense now. Kai sat down and Tyson held up the tray of temptation. "Want one Kai? They're homemade!"

The dual-haired man realized something. Tyson had made these for him. Him, cooking in that apron, was so he could make these brownies...for him! Finding himself unable to say no, he took one of the offered goodies and bit down. Chocolatey-goodness exploded into his mouth! Seeing that the object of his affections was anxiously waiting for his feedback he said, "So much better than that packaged crap." Tyson beamed and resumed the movie. Once Kai's brownie was finished, he found himself unsatisfied. He took another. And another. It wasn't until the movie was over and the lights were back on that he saw the damage. Tyson had two brownie pans on the table. Both were empty. They had both ate and entire pan of brownies in a sitting.

The baker of the sweets looked down in surprise. "Wow! You really liked them, eh?"

There was no defending himself. "Hn. I'm going to bed."

"Ok! Night Kai!"

The next afternoon, while they were both at the office, Tyson came in and dropped off a stack of papers and a brown paper bag, inside the bag was a box of orange juice, left over spaghetti and three large brownies. Kai couldn't help but smile.

Tyson's brownies were now the exception to his "No Junk food" rule.

* * *

As the tournament drew closer, the CEO was having a hard time finding a suitable replacement for himself. As Tala had also entered the tournament and had claimed that miracle-worker Lelouch, for himself. As the dual-haired man scoured through his list of managers, he frowned. According to Tyson keeping tabs on office gossip, if any one of them were to gain power, it would be hell for the other employees. The last thing he wanted to do was to put another Voltaire in charge.

Then in-walked the solution to all his problems. Nathan Rivers, AKA Mr. Big shot who he sent to take those management courses several months ago had just walked through his office doors.

"Mr. Hiwatari, put me where you need me." The man greeted with a low, respectful bow.

"In three days you will be acting CEO of Hiwatari Enterprises as I will be away on personal matters. You will correspond with acting Vice-President Lelouch Lamproche. In the likely event that you guys fuck-up, call Mr. Ivanov or myself. I will leave a list of duties for you with my secretary.

There was dead silence.

"I- _what_?"

"You will be active Chief Executive Officer of Hiwatari Enterprises until my return. Do you have a problem with that?"

"N-no sir. Thank-you sir."

"Then help out the other managers and memorize this." he tossed over a thick booklet entitled ' _How Not to Fuck-Up.' "_ You are dismissed."

When Nathan walked out of his boss' office, he flipped through the book fervently. There was a whole bunch of weird little rules such as:

 _ **Throw out anything related to Biovolt or Tovi Lob.**_

Never do any business with anyone from Biovolt or Tovi Lob.

Never hire anyone who has worked at Biovolt or Tovi Lob.

Okay...so it was pretty straightforward. Avoid those two companies.

 _ **Never attempt to open the locked drawer.**_

Well that was a no-brainier.

 _ **If I call you, you better fucking answer.**_

He rolled his eyes. Was there anything actually useful in here?

 _ **What To Do In Emergencies:**_

There we go.

 _ **Call Kai Hiwatari and Tala Ivanov IIMMEDIATELY! In the event that the company is being hacked, e-mail**_ thecheif

The chief? What kind of stupid name was that? Hotmai? Really? The image of a fat nerd in his 30's still living in his mother's basement came to the forefront of Nathan's mind and he chuckled.

Deciding he could probably compress the manual on a few stick notes, he went over to help with the other managers.

He looked around the room. Most of these people he had never seen before. He had heard on the news how the company had fired most of the employees, but he didn't realize it mean management as well.

"Oh hi! Are you new here?" Nathan's breath was taken away. The man before him was beautiful. He found himself lost in captivating chocolate brown eyes. "Um...hello?"

Nathan came back to reality. "What?"

"I asked if you were new here?" asked the gorgeous man.

"Um, kinda. I have been away for awhile doing manger training. My name is Nathan Rivers."

"I'm Tyson Kinomiya, Kai's personal assistant." the man extended his hand. "What do you do here?"

"I'm the General Manager, but will be acting CEO here in a few days." he said non-nonchalantly, hoping to impress the assistant.

"Oh, so you're taking over for Kai then?"

It took a second for everything to click.

"...You mean Mr. Hiwatari?"

"Yeah, who else did you think I meant?" Laughed the man.

It took him a full minute to comprehend the situation. This guy was that jackass' personal assistant? And he was on a first name basis? This was interesting. Another realization dawned on him...this breath-taking man, with the warm smile was going to be _his_ personal assistant. "So I guess that means we'll be spending a lot of time together once the boss is gone." He said seductively.

"Actually, I have time-off too. It's the World Championship Beyblade Tournament!" the man said enthusiastically.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Really? You guys are taking time-off just to watch?" He said incredulously. He had played with beyblades for a bit when he was a kid, he never saw what the big deal was. They were fancy spinning tops, so what?

"Wow, you don't know much about your boss, do you?" Tyson asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"Hmm, should I?" He turned on the charm, "I rather get to know you. So tell me, why would you, assistant to one of the most powerful and wealthiest men on the planet, want to take time-off to a watch a Beyblade tournament of all things?"

"Whoever said I was watching?" winked the bluenette as he walked away.

"Tyson Kinomiya, huh?" Nathan walked into his office and turned on his desktop computer. He looked up the employee files and typed in the man's name. To his surprise, no records were found. Remembering they were in the age of technology, he opened up the Google web browser and typed in _'Tyson Kinomiya'_. Pages upon pages of results came up. He clicked on the first one and he blanched.

Tyson was the World Beyblade Champion.

He continued reading, surprised to see his boss' name in the article as well. He article explained how Tyson, Kai and a few other boys had formed a team when they were 13 years old and had taken the world by storm. It also explained how Tyson and Kai were rivals and their beybattles was what drew in crowds. The more he read, the more an idea formed in his head on how he could make Tyson Kinomiya fall in love with him.

* * *

And this so ends the fluffy chapters. Hoped you all enjoyed easing back into Borderline, and time to give you all what you're really here for...DRAMA! Hang onto your seats as in the next chapter... the World Tournament begins again!

 **(1) In the original version, I had Kai give away 3 of the kittens to Max, Ray and Spencer...then thought against it, because I vicariously living out my cat-lady fantasies through Kai...(ok,ok...Meko hissed at me...she wasn't ready to part with any of her babies) So that's why their good-bye scene is such shit. I had something sappy...I swear...It'll go in Borderline's deleted scenes...**

To recap: The tournament will be the top 50 bladers in the world, all with 3-strikes a piece (Max and Ray get 4) playing SINGLE BATTLE, INDIVIDUAL MATCHES. And fuck me, they were a pain to write. No teams. No tag teams. Because I am an asshole to myself and couldn't just do this the easy way...

-Boris, Gideon and Dr. K have all joined forces and there are rumours going around they MAY have a few players in the tournament (if they were good enough to get in)

To those of you who are still around after 31 chapters...I LOVE YOU! Cookies for all!


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I do not own the idea of fancy spinning tops, sexy anime characters or a penis...yeah I'm running out of ideas for these...

Hello guys, nice to see you all here again. Life is shitty, but thankfully there's fanfiction! Huge thank-yous to Little A Granger, Tyka's Flower, CorynOfHoole, Demons of the arch angel, chibiduo and Violet Hiwatari for reviewing!

I hope you enjoy the tournament guys!

WARNINGS: SO MANY WARNINGS. Except for lemons...there's no more lemons for a bit.

* * *

"Are you ready yet Kinomiya?" Kai asked, impatiently tapping his foot, waiting at the front door for his tardy roommate. He was dressed in his usual battle outfit, the only difference was the scarlet phoenix pendant that hung around his neck.

"Yeah! I'm just looking for my hat!" came Tyson's voice from up the staircase.

Kai cast his gaze around the room, his eyes settling on the aforementioned cap. "You left it on the couch!"

The bluenette came running down the staircase, Dragoon in hand, and into the living room and put on his lucky hat. "Alright, let's get this show on the road!"

They climbed into the car and once they had pulled out on the driveway and were on the main road Tyson said, "I'm so excited to see the new stadium! I'm sure the chief has tech-ed it out to the max! Have you seen it yet?"

"No."

Tyson gaped at him, "Awww, sweet! It's going to be a surprise for both of us then!"

"Hn." Was all the Russian responded with, but on the inside he was excited to see the stadium as well. All he knew about it so far was it was about 30 minutes from where they lived, which was nice because for once they didn't have to be situated in some kind of hotel. Being able to sleep in his own bed every night was not a luxury he was going to take for granted.

Soon they arrived and their mouths dropped. Everything was gold! Golden pillars, golden steps, but what stood out against the gold was the massive, extravagant, terrifying, realistic-looking red phoenix that was perched on the roof. It's wings were spread and it looked like the bird was releasing it's battle cry before going on the attack. It was a perfect rendition of Dranzer.

"Wow, you gotta hand it to the chief, when he comes through he _really_ comes through."

"Yeah." Kai stared at the stadium for a moment longer with pride. So worth the money.

"5 minutes until registration closes!" a voice came over the speakers.

"5 minutes?!" Repeated Tyson, his face turning white.

"Stop worrying. The booth is right there." said Kai, nodding over to the table that was right in front of the building. They registered and had their blades inspected.

"Opening ceremonials will start soon, please enter the stadium through the doors on your left." said the woman.

He duo walked down the long corridor and came to a steel platform. "I guess this must take us tot he stadium." Tyson observed, "Isn't this a little showy for the preliminaries?"

"That's because this isn't the preliminaries, those were held weeks ago."

"WHAT?!"

"Seriously, do you ever check your e-mails?"

"Um...for my work account. Usually Max or Kenny just tell me these things."

"Well lucky for you, despite the format change, the winners and the runner-up from the previous tournament were given a bye. This is the actual tournament."

"With the 50 best bladers from around the world, right?"

"Hn. Look at that, you do listen."

Tyson chose to ignore that jab. "Why didn't anyone tell me about the preliminaries? I would have been there to cheer everyone on! Now I have no idea if everyone is even here!" there was anger in his voice.

"Take that up with them."

Their conversation ended as the platform started rising and butterflies started dancing in the World Champion's stomach. Another year, and this time he had to prove to everyone that he could win with no one standing next to him. They reached the top and a stadium full of people greeted them. As people cheered and shouted his name, a surge of adrenaline surged through them and he started waving at them all enthusiastically. This is where he belonged. He soaked up the adoration from his fans, acting like every bit of the champion that he was.

Next to him, Kai stood stoic, strong, detached. The Russian had the reputation of being the unpredictable badass. A true wild card. Seeing the rivals standing side-by-side as equals made the audience go crazy and their cheers became a loud roar.

Tyson took the opportunity to look around the arena. All of his friends were here! Ray, Max...even Kenny! They were all divided up into pairs on similar platforms like the one he was standing on, and were placed in a circle around the arena. Wow, Kenny really had gone all out while he was designing it! Suddenly the lights dimmed and the centre of the arena opened up and another platform ascended and standing on it was the Director of the Beyblade Association himself: Mr. Stanley Dickenson. The crowd hushed.

"Hello and welcome to this year's World Championship! It's so wonderful to see so many new and old faces here today!" The man said enthusiastically, "To be honest, we not entirely sure that there would be a tournament this year, but thanks to former World Champion, Kai Hiwatari, and Beyblade Mechanic Specialist Kenny Saien, Hiwatari Industries and the BBA Research Facility were able to team-up and design and build this spectacular state of the art stadium! The major difference is that we now have a special energy absorbing glass to make everything much safer for spectators, in case any beybattles get out of hand. We hope to have many more tournaments to come!"

The audience roared in applause, Mr. Dickenson waited a few moments, then continued.

"Now this year, as some of you already know, there will be some format changes. Our preliminary rounds determined the top 50 bladers in the world, which are all here today. All bladers have 3 strikes, with the exception of Ray Kon and Max Tate who have 4 after displaying exemplary sportsmanship in a wildlife challenge earlier this year. If a player loses a match, unable to battle or are late for a match- they lose a strike. Once a player has run out of strikes, they will be disqualified. Throughout the tournament there will be opportunities to win back strikes until we reach the top 10. Because of the sheer number of players, each match will only be a single-battle. In the event of a draw, neither player will lose a strike and they both will advance to the next round. Any questions?"

No one spoke.

"Then I declare this tournament officially open! Your first match is now!"

"Now?!" cried out a few players as the 25 platforms ascended until they were 50ft in the air, they then split apart to reveal a steel beydish. The protective glass cage rose up and encased the arena.

Tyson's heart pounded as he into his rival's eyes. He wasn't expecting to face Kai so soon.

"Everyone!" Shouted Mr. Dickenson.

"3..." All bladers readied their launchers.

"2..." Kai and Tyson's muscles twitched as they locked into a heated gaze.

"1!"

There was a chorus of "Let it rip!" as 50 blades flew into the air and connected. But as shock waves shook their bodies and rattled their teeth, dark images surfaced in Tyson's mind.

* * *

 _He was back on the island._ _The severed arm in his left hand, Kai's bloody, lifeless body slumped against the tree in front of him. He had done this. He had killed his best friend! He took a step back and his body fell into darkness._

* * *

When Kai saw Dragoon slow down, he looked up and saw the far away look in Tyson's eyes and the look of terror on his face. Something was seriously wrong. He watched Tyson take a step back and his heart stopped. A fall from this height could be deadly!

The next 3 seconds felt like an eternity. Tyson's foot slipped over the edge and Kai's instincts were sent into overdrive. As Tyson slowly fell back, Kai ran forward and leaped off the platform. With a cat-like grace, he caught Tyson in mid-air and deftly did a front flip. He landed on his feet with the boy safe in his arms. He looked into Tyson's eyes, and they were blank and his face was contorted in fear. This wasn't good. Picking up Tyson bridal-style, he headed towards the nearest exit.

"Wait! What about the battle?!" asked DJ Jazzman.

"Let the officials handle it!" he snapped. Once they were out of the arena, he took Tyson to an empty locker room and away from prying eyes. "Tyson. Tyson snap out of it!" He shouted, shaking the boy. When he didn't get a response, he did the only thing he could think of. He punched Tyson square in the jaw. Hard.

The teenager hit the floor with a loud 'thud'. "Ow! What the hell dude?!" He demanded, rubbing his cheek. He looked around the room. "Wha? What happened? Wait! Our match?!"

"Over." Relieved that Tyson was back to his old self, the former Captain walked over to him. "What happened out there Kinomiya?"

Tyson scratched the back of his head nervously. "Um...nerves?"

Kai punched him again.

"Bullshit. I've seen you nervous and unfocused. Your blading gets erratic and sloppy, but you don't zone out like that. Don't lie to me!" he growled.

Tyson sighed. He really should've known better than to try and fool his former captain of all people. "I don't know. One minute I'm all ready for the battle, and the next all I can see is blood and darkness everywhere. Y-your arm. Your b-body." His voice started cracking as he tried to hold back his tears.

Great. Tyson had PTSD. Something that couldn't be cured with magic tears. "You were fine battling everyone at the house?"

"Yeah. I-I guess it doesn't affect me with anyone else." Tyson panicked as he watched Kai turn around towards the door. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"To see when our next match is. You can still battle." he took a few steps then paused. "Tyson, I would die for blading. I would die to see that place again. Wouldn't you?" He walked out.

Sighing, Tyson laid down on the uncomfortable, hard bench and stared at the ceiling. His arms hung limply at his sides, his fingertips brushing against the ground. "That place, huh?" He closed his eyes and tried to picture it, but all he could see was Kai's broken body. A tear slipped down his tanned cheek.

He suddenly felt something brush against his hand and he looked over. Dragoon was spinning next to him, it must've followed Kai here. "Dragoon, buddy...I just don't know what to do." The blade emitted a bright blue light and a cool power flowed through the boy's body. Tyson opened his eyes and gasped. He was there! He was back in that place where the universe was spread out before him, but it was a  
little different than he remembered it. "Is this your memory Dragoon?"

"Yes Tyson." The ancient beast answered.

Then teenager watched in fascination as he looked down on himself and Kai laying down on the beach. Then he saw something that he didn't get to see before. He watched Kai wake up and looked over to him and smiled. An actual smile.

All the dark, gory images seemed to pale in comparison to the light of that beautiful smile, and slowly, retreated back into the dark depths of his mind. Tyson looked at the breath-taking sky.

That's right. It didn't matter what they had to overcome, whom they had to face or what life has in store for them. He and Kai had made a promise. Kai had been the one who died and he was still fighting. It would be an insult to him if he just gave up here. He would find a way to burry the memories and move on!

A timid knock at the door broke him out of the memory. Dragoon retreated back into the blade and returned to his master. "Come in."

The door burst open and Tyson found himself being attacked by yellow. "Oh Tyson! You had us all so worried buddy!" He heard Max say as he squeezed the life out of him.

"I'm fine Maxie, really." He managed to choke out. The American pulled away and Tyson saw Ray, Kai, Kenny and Hilary in the room as well. "What happened anyways?"

"You seriously don't remember?" asked Hilary in disbelief.

Tyson shook his head. "Not a thing."

"You fell off the platform! If Kai wasn't there to save you, you would've been seriously hurt!" she exclaimed.

"Kai saved me?" he looked at the enigma who stood against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, he totally threw the match!"

"She's right buddy." confirmed Max, putting an arm around his shoulder. "You and Kai both lost a strike. It wasn't just you guys though. Two of the matches ended up with someone being sent to the hospital. Those matches ended with strikes as well. The officials are really tough this year."

"Sent to the hospital? Are they okay?!" shouted Tyson in alarm.

"It really doesn't look good." said Ray solemnly, "One of them fell off the platform. The really sickening thing was their opponent didn't check to see if they were okay or anything."

"...Was it anyone we know?" questioned Tyson.

"No."

Tyson and Kai exchanged a look and nodded.

"It's best that we don't take these bladers lightly." said Kai, "Unless you're 100% prepared for the match, just forfeit."

Everyone looked at the enigma in shock, before it all started to sink in. In the end, it was better to lose a strike than to go up against something that they couldn't handle and wind-up in hospital for the rest of the tournament

"So what's with no one telling me about the preliminaries?" asked Tyson, changing the subject.

"Oh, that's because they were held in different countries on the same day." explained Kenny. "We all knew that you would want to cheer everyone on, but this way you didn't have to play favourites and focus on your own training."

"So who's all in?" asked Tyson.

"Basically everyone from the last tournament plus 11 unknown bladers and Gin of the Gale."

"What?! Hiro is in the tournament?"

"Yeah."

"Heh, I can't wait to show him my skills." he looked around the room. "Hey. Where's Daichi?"

"Did someone say my name?" The group looked over to see the red-head burst into the room, but he looked different than when they had last seen him a few months ago. He was nearly as tall as Max and his face had lost some of its baby-fat. He wore a torn white muscle shirt with a blue vest over top, his pants were ridden with holes but at least the pant legs were the same length now. Everyone's mouths dropped. Daichi looked hot! "Jeez Tyson, you're in the stadium for 2 minutes and already stirring up trouble. You attention hog!"

"Arg! I am not an attention hog!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

Everyone sighed as the pair argued. "Somethings never change." muttered Hilary.

"Hey, isn't it almost time for the next match?" asked Ray.

Tyson and Daichi froze mid-fist fight. "Alright let's go!" cried the pony-tailed teen as he ran out of the room.

"Try not to fall off this time!" sneered the child as he ran after him.

"Arg! I can't believe I missed you!" shot back Tyson as he ran down the hall.

Kai smiled softly. At least Tyson's confidence was still intact.

* * *

OK, not bad for a first chapter right? Not too dark, still easing you lovely people into things :) Please leave a review telling me what you thought!


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, sassy nurses or bad orange jumpsuits. Anyone have any ideas of how to make money?

So yes, this is late...very late. I'm sorry guys, I have had just one hell of a busy week spending time with my daughter, her brothers, and the rest of the family. Work hasn't been giving me much in the way of a day off either and you have no idea how much I just want to enjoy time off to dedicate to writing. But...I like money.

Big hugs and thank-you's to Tyka's Flower, CorynOfHoole, Demons of the arch angel, Killua17,HibarixTsunaxlover, Angel Devastation, Violet Hiwatari, ffionfoxglove and SerenityKieraSilverwind for reviewing!

And extra big hug and thank-you to Little A Granger who was there for me when I was completely falling apart.

WARNINGS: ADULT SUBJECT MATTER: Meaning, I might give you a heart attack or 3...

Enjoy Episode 33 of Borderline!

* * *

"Alright, is everyone ready for the next round?" DJ Jazzman asked enthusiastically to the crowd, trying to pick up their spirits after what happened in the first round. "For those of you just joining us, our champion gave us a scare by taking a nose-dive right off the platform! In an amazing display of acrobatics, his opponent and former Team Captain Kai, saved him. We have been informed that both are okay and will be competing in the next round. However, due to the fact that their battle was left unfinished, they were given strikes. After their battle with newcomers Pam and Eric, players Lorne and Shannon were taken to hospital and are reportedly in no condition to battle. They will be taking a strike for these matches as well.

The next round will be split into 2 sets, each set containing 12 matches. If you would all look on the mega-screen, you will see all the player's names be randomly selected for the next round." He gestured towards the large television screen where 48 of the players names were displayed, they all flashed for a moment before they were scrambled. "So first up we have:

Max vs Mariah  
Tyson vs Kane  
Ray vs Lee  
Kenny vs Emily  
Miguel vs Robert  
Aaron vs Ian  
Micheal vs Claude  
Eddy vs Carlos  
Steven vs Pam  
Spencer vs Johnny  
Gary vs Jessica  
Daichi vs Mystel

Next round starts in 5 minutes, so grab your popcorn!"

Tyson saw his opponent's name and grinned. "Alright! I've been waiting for this re-match for a long time." He looked down at Kenny who looked like he was about to be sick. "Hey, what's wrong Chief? You passed your last battle with flying colours!"

"Yeah but that was against just a newcomer. Emily is a really skilled blader!"

"Just go up there and have fun Chief! You made it this far, right? Think about how sweet it is just to have a battle against her! Plus win or lose, you guys will still be friends." He paused and his eyes widened. He had been over-thinking things with his match against Kai. Too focused on the 'what ifs' and not on the here and now; totally psyching himself out in the process. He looked across the stadium where Emily was currently glaring at them. "Besides, she's not so tough."

Kenny smiled, "I guess you're right Tyson. I mean she's not like someone like Garland or Brooklyn." he added shivering, before beaming at his friend. "Thanks Tyson!" He ran off to meet his opponent at the platform.

Tyson placed his hands on his hips, smirking triumphantly. "Happy to help." He then looked over to Max, who was glaring down Mariah, he swung an arm around the blonde's shoulders. "You go give that kitty-cat a nice, cold shower and show her exactly why you deserve Ray."

Max blushed. "Thanks buddy. Good luck against Kane, I know how much you've been looking forward to this match."

"It'll be an amazing battle for sure! Speaking of which..." The bluenette pulled out an ordinary white bit-chip from the pocket of his red jacket. "Mind switching this one with Dragoon? I know Kane doesn't have a bitbeast and I want to make this as fair of a battle as possible."

Max grinned. "Sure, no problem buddy. That's such a great idea!" he said as he modified the World Champion's blade.

"Yeah, I was inspired by the best." The Japanese male gave Kai a wink, who just gave him a wry smile in return. He would never forget the moment when Kai showed up for their championship match, clothes torn, his breathing ragged and revealed that he had already battled that day, giving up a huge advantage, just so that they could have a fair battle. His rival had shown him true respect with that classy move, and had taught him that he should have the same respect for all of his opponents. He walked up to the enigma and handed him his Dragoon. "Keep this safe for me?"

"Hn." But the Russian's fingers curled tightly around the bit-piece in a silent promise. _**Always.**_

"C'mon guys, we have matches to win!" declared Daichi. The group parted ways, with Kai remaining looking at each of them fondly.

"You look like a proud Mama Bird who has taught her babies to fly." said Tala as he strolled up, amusement evident in his voice.

"Shut-it Wolf."

* * *

Inside the stadium twelve intense beybattles were being broadcast on live television, by 5 different cameras that were pointed at each one. The audience were watching the action on several mega-screens that were around the stadium. Tyson and Kane were evenly matched, matching each other blow for blow, both of them looking like they were having the time of their lives.

Kenny's Hopper blade was really throwing Emily off with it's spring-loaded base, for every time she would try to attack, it would quickly bounce out of the way.

But the battle everyone's eyes were glued to was the battle going on between Max and Mariah. Their bitbeasts were in a fierce war as their blades scraped together, pushing the other back. Mariah's Gallux was attacking Draciel from all sides, at high-speeds trying to get past his 360 defence.

Sweat poured down Max's face as he poured more of his energy into Draciel. She was relentless! Her attacks were barely visible and hitting his Draciel hard and showed no signs of stopping. He needed a plan and fast! Closing his eyes he thought back to all of his years of training; there had to be a special move that could get him out of this mess. He thought about his situation rationally, there was no way he could over-power her...but maybe he could out-manoeuvre her!

He focused his energy, it was all about timing now. "Alright, let's go Draciel!" His green blade charged.

"Ha! You don't scare me! Gallux go!" Her pink blade picked up speed and charged at his.

Max grinned. "Just what I was hoping for. Draciel now!" At the last possible second, Draciel flipped, catching the pink blade underneath and used Gallux's own speed against itself, sending the beyblade flying out of the dish.

"And MAX WINS!" shouted Dj Jazzman and the crowd roared into a thundering applause.

Max walked up to Mariah and handed her, her blade. "That was a really great match. You had me worried for awhile there." He said honestly.

Mariah smiled sweetly. "That finishing move totally caught me off-guard. But I'll get you next time!"

The American nodded. "You can try." He sent her a wink before walking away. After that amazing battle, he couldn't help but feeling that if she managed to capture Ray's heart, at least he would be in good hands.

It was weird. He was used to seeing his teammates after a match, being congratulated win or loss, but this time, there was no one. Just silence. It made the victory seem hallow. Even when the team had split up last time, he at least had Rick...

"Hey Max!"

Speak of the Devil! Max turned as the African-American walked up to him. "Hey Rick."

"I saw your battle with Mariah, that last move was wicked!"

Max blushed. "Thanks, I learned it while I was training with the guys. Hey you're playing in the next round, right? I totally want to see your battle!"

"Yeah, I'm so stoked. I'm hoping to battle Tyson or Kai or even that Brooklyn guy. Someone strong so I can really show off my moves."

"Totally hear ya buddy."

A bone-chilling scream was heard throughout the auditorium, sending shivers up everyone's spines. The former All-Starz looked up just in time to watch Steve been blasted off a platform. Rick was the first to react and managed to catch his former teammate before he hit the ground. "Woah, you okay?" But the fallen blader was out cold. Three deep gashes ran diagonally down his chest, and blood was spilling out. "STEVE!"

Judy raced over from her seat in the stands and entered the arena with several medics en-tow. They carefully placed the unconscious man on a stretcher, just as they were all about to accompany him to the hospital, Max stopped Rick. "There's no telling how long we'll be there for. Just let me go and you concentrate on your upcoming match. I'll send you texts to keep you updated."

Rick nodded. "Okay Max. You take good care of him."

"Will do!" The blonde quickly turned around and accompanied Steve to the hospital with his mother.

Rick stared down the woman who descended from the platform. "You have some nerve to be dishing out player-attacks like that!"

"Hn, not my fault that he was so weak." She said as she flipped her waist-length blonde hair over her shoulders, her voice full of contempt. Her ice-blue eyes seemed like they were driving daggers straight into his soul.

Just who was this woman?

* * *

"Hey Kane, I've had a great battle with you, but it ends here man." Tyson said, a cocky grin playing on his lips.

"What?!" Kai asked, confused. He thought he had the World Champion on the ropes.

"Go Dragoon!"

Kane watched as his blade was suddenly knocked out of the dish. He blinked. What just happened?

"Thanks for the awesome battle buddy." Smiled Tyson, extending his hand.

Kane smile and shook the hand. "Yeah you too. Next time I'll get you for sure!"

"I look forward to it." As Tyson turned away, Kane couldn't help but notice how much the Dragoon Wielder had grown in the last 4 years. He was still Tyson, but that goofy little kid had definitely matured. How did that happen? He picked off his blade from the floor. He would just have to train harder.

Tyson was surprised to see Kai waiting for him. "Hey did you see that last move?"

"Not bad Kinomiya, but if you want to keep your title, you're going to have to do way better than that against me." He gave a challenging smirk before handing over Dragoon.

"Thanks Kai..." He looked down at his blade with confusion. "Um..."

Kai rolled his eyes. "You're hopeless." He snatched the blade and switched out the bit-chips so now Dragoon was back where he belonged.

"You're a life-saver Kai!"

"Hn. You've become too reliant on Kenny."

"Hehehehehe. Maybe a little." Tyson said, laughing nervously, knowing that the Russian was absolutely correct. He hadn't modified his blade himself since he was thirteen. "Um...Hey! What was the scream earlier?"

"One of the new bladers completely wasted Steve. Max went with him to the hospital."

Tyson's eyes narrowed. "I see." They exchanged uneasy looks, their eyes saying everything that they needed to.

The lights dimmed, effectively ending their conversation.

"Hey Beyblade fans! That concludes all the battles of the first set of the second round! In case you missed it, after a brutal beybattle former All-Star Steve has been taken to the hospital and there is no word on his condition. We're about ready to start our second set, so the pairings please!" He pointed to the largest mega-screen and the remaining 12 names were scrambled. "Okay, next up we have:

Ming-Ming vs Anthony  
Garland vs Angel  
Enrique vs Selima  
Gokie vs Raul  
Jim vs Julia  
Alceed vs Brooklyn  
Kai vs Tala  
Bryan vs Eric  
Sam vs William  
Matilda vs Kevin

All players you have 10 minutes to prepare for the next round!"

Tala looked at his lover with wide eyes. "Bryan-"

"Save your breath because I'm doing this." A sadistic grin came over the silver-haired Russian's face. "This is going to be fun."

Tala rolled his eyes. Only Bryan would find the prospect of going up against someone so dangerous as fun. He remembered that Eric was one of the two bladers that sent one of the newcomers to the hospital in the first round. "Don't hold back." he whispered, squeezing his hand.

"Don't worry about me. Worry about Kai."

Tala chuckled. "Oh no need to worry about Mama Bird. This is going to be payback for all the late nights, over-time and paperwork that prick made me do." He turned away but a shiver went up his spine as Bryan grabbed his ass and he felt the other's hot breath against his ear.

"Don't take too long now."

Tala's cheeks went as red as his hair as Bryan pulled him into a kiss.

* * *

"Good luck Kai!" said Tyson cheerfully.

"Hn. I don't need luck...it's Tala."

"Isn't it always you who keeps telling us not to under-estimate our opponent?"

Kai raised an eyebrow. "You actually listened?"

"I wouldn't be half the blader that I am if it wasn't for you, Kai. So get out there and show him whose the boss!"

Kai found himself smiling at the pun. He stepped up onto the platform that took him up to the beydish where he met Tala's icy stare with one of his own. "Hey Tala, if you beat me, I'll give you that vacation you've been asking for."

"I'll hold you to that."

They readied their launchers as the countdown began. **"LET IT RIP!"**

* * *

The crowd watched in awe as the twelve battles commenced, it was just so hard to concentrate on just one! Their eyes darted from one screen to the other as blades bashed against the other and showers of sparks rained down. But soon all eyes were on just one battle that took everyone's breath away with the sheer brutality of it – Bryan vs Eric

Everyone was on the edge of their seats as the blades scrapped together. They were matching each other hit for hit and it was getting dangerous. Spencer and Ian stood on the sidelines, silently supporting their friend, silently terrified at the mad look in those silvery-blue eyes...Bryan was taking no prisoners. He had gone back to the style of play when he was at the abbey.

Eric's bitbeast Hawkeye, was battling Falborg, both spirits slashing each other with their sharp talons and pecking at each other with their beaks. Sparks flew as the blades clashed over and over again.

Both players now had blood running down their faces, panting heavily as they let their bitbeasts feed off their energy. Eric wiped away some of the blood that was trickling down his face. "I'm impressed. Most people would have stopped breathing by now." He licked the blood off his fingers. "Just who are you?"

Bryan grinned wickedly. "The Monster of Balkov Abbey."

Eric's face went ghastly white and he started trembling before a manic grin spread across his face. "I always wanted to see how I would compare to you. Monster, you have met your Nightmare!" The blades charged at each other and clashed as everything went white. The protective glass rattled at the force of the impact. Everyone looked away from their matches to see what was going on.

When the light faded, Bryan and Eric were both laying on the ground, unconscious. Their blades laid beside them, utterly destroyed.

Tala's heart thumped wildly in his chest as he saw Tyson, Spencer and Ian rush up to his fallen lover and check his pulse. Tyson then looked up and called out to him, "Yo dude! He's alright! No need to worry, we'll take care of him!"

The crowd cheered and Tala let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Bryan was in good hands. He looked back at Kai, who also looked relieved. "Are you ready to resume our battle?"

"Yeah." Tala couldn't help but smile. Kai was a tough opponent who usually took advantage of any flaw he saw, but somehow along the way he had learned that there was more important things than just winning a match. He fought fairly with honour and no matter what, his friends came first.

Their battled continued and soon, he had Kai right where he wanted him. "Blizzard Storm!" His attack hit Dranzer dead on and Wolborg's power froze the beydish, Dranzer was sent flying through the air. This match was his!

"Don't look so excited Tala, you haven't won anything. Dranzer Flame Spiral!" The midnight blue blade was surrounded by blue flames and it was dropping down like a meteor...right for his blade!

"Wolborg dodge!" But it was too late, Dranzer struck and his blade was sent out of the dish.

"And the winner is the ONE AND ONLY KAI!" The audience cheered loudly.

Tala picked up his blade and his eyes widened...his attack ring was in ruins.

"Hey Tala!" The red-head looked up and Kai's back was turned to him. "You should practice with Ray. He can show you how to make your blade faster." With that, he walked away, his scarf fluttering behind him.

Tala blinked. Did Kai actually say something helpful?

* * *

When Kenny had designed Phoenix Stadium, he had kept one very important factor in mind- That his friends were crazy! They didn't know when to quit and what was too far, in result, the stadium was built just a block away from the local hospital; a feature that Tala was extremely grateful for as he ran down the sidewalk.

Tala would never forget the moment he met Bryan. He had been trying to steal bread from the baker, and across the snowy street his eyes has met breath-taking silvery-blue eyes. Eyes that held the same look he knew all too well. No words had been spoken- they didn't need to be. In that first, single glance, they had completely understood each other.

They were completely inseparable from that day forward. Each other's right had man. They stole together and kept each other alive on the cold, unforgiving streets of Moscow. They had protected each other in the abbey, and when Boris had locked Bryan away in the dank, dreary dungeons for "Special Training", it had been Tala who would sneak down in the dead of the night to bring him scraps of food that he had saved from his own meals. They would sit and talk for hours, reminiscing about their days on the streets, and how when they were the most powerful bladers in the world, they would never have to scrounge for food again. Those conversations had kept Tala sane through the horrors Boris had put them through.

He couldn't lose Bryan.

He walked up to the front desk, out of breath. "Can you tell me which room Mitch P Imfabulos is in?" After Kai's run in with Boris' henchmen in Australia, they all had adopted aliases.

"What's your relationship to the patient?"

"I'm his brother." The woman gave him a sceptical look. "Well, half-brother. Same dad, different moms." He lied smoothly.

"Uh-huh. Name please?"

"Lexi M. Focker." She looked at him incredulously.

"...You're father has a weird sense of humour."

"You have no idea."

"He's in room 312." He turned to leave. "One more thing." He turned back around. "You might want to consider a disguise Mr. Ivanov. Everyone can see your orange jumpsuit a mile away."

Tala's face turned as red as his hair.

* * *

Tala didn't know what he was expecting when he walked into Bryan's room, but Tyson doing impressions of Kai, while Bryan, Spencer and Ian were laughing so hard, tears were running down their face, definitely wasn't it.

"Do one when he loses a match!" demanded Bryan, between giggles.

Tyson drew out his blade and prepared it for launch, his face dead-serious. "Next time I'm going to make them pay, because I can't stand the thought of anyone being better than me, because I'm King of the World and everyone should bow down to me!"

The men laughed harder and even Tala cracked a smile. He cleared his throat, alerting the others to his presence.

"Tala!" Bryan greeted him, smiling brightly. "How did your match with Sunshine go?"

"Never mind that. How are you feeling?"

"Just peachy. Tyson here, is making sure we don't die of boredom while the doctors figure out if they can release me."

"Release you? Bryan, you fell 50 feet!"

"Falborg cushioned my landing."

"Okay, but what about all the blood?"

"As it turns out, cuts on the head bleed a lot. No concussion, broken bones or blood transfusions."

"Yeah, he's right Tal'." Tyson chimed in, "He just needed a nap."

"Well that's a relief." The red-head sighed, pulling up a chair to his boyfriend.

"Well we can't get too comfortable." Everyone looked at Bryan.

"What do you mean?" asked Tyson.

"That Eric-guy is working for Boris and I'll bet next month's rent that that psycho-blonde chick is in it as well."

"What?! Are you sure?!" exclaimed Tyson.

"Yeah. Eric had heard about the monster in the abbey. Plus who else do we know who actually encourages player attacks?"

There was an eerie silence as everyone processed this new information. "Sorry guys, I gotta go!" said Tyson, heading towards the door.

Knowing that Kai would probably kill him if he let Tyson just walk out of there by himself with Boris running around, Tala stood up. "Here, I'll give you a ride."

"It's okay, I'll just take a cab."

"Save your money."

They walked back to the stadium, where Tala had his car parked. Once they were on the main road, Tyson decided to break the silence. "Thanks for the ride, man."

"Least I can do since you took care of Bryan."

"Don't sweat it man, what are friends for? I'm sure if it was Kai, you'd do the same for me."

Tala couldn't help but grin. Tyson was all but admitting that he had feelings for the moody Russian. Should he?...It wouldn't hurt anything... "I'd do the same for Kai if it was you too."

"What does that mean?"

 _Gotcha._ "In case you haven't realized it Kinomiya, you mean a hell of a lot to Kai."

"Yeah, but so does Max, Ray, you and I'm sure Kai would tear someone a new one if they touched Kei."

"Just understand one thing- he wouldn't let just anyone live with him."

"Pffft, I knew that one already. To be honest, if my grandfather hadn't asked him to take me in, I'm not sure he would've."

"Tyson, how many times has he stayed with you in the dojo?"

Realization dawned on the younger's face. "Wait...so I'm like his best friend?"

...close enough... "Bingo."

"Still not getting your point here."

 _Apparently you won't unless I come right out and say it,_ thought Tala as he rolled his eyes. "Forget it."

Soon they pulled up to the house and Tyson entered first. "Kai? Kai? I'm home!"

Kai appeared at the top of the stairs a moment later, nodding an acknowledgement to Tala. "How's Bryan?"

"Fine. Doctors are looking at releasing him tonight. According to him, Pam and Eric are working for Boris."

Crimson eyes narrowed. "Which means Boris and the others are lurking in the shadows."

"Exactly. So watch yourself." With that, the Wolborg wielder turned and left the dwelling, leaving the roommates alone.

"So...how was the rest of your day Kai?" asked Tyson brightly.

"Uneventful." He descended down the staircase and walked up to the smaller. "Are you ok?"

"About Eric and Pam working for Boris? Yeah. I mean, we kinda knew this was coming right? It's just..." He bit his lip. "How many innocent bladers are they going to take out, while gunning for us? Bryan could've been killed today..." His fists balled up in anger, his knuckles white.

Kai's eyes narrowed. Tyson was right. This was a dangerous game that they were playing- Blade or Die. "If people are smart, they'll just forfeit."

"Arg! I hate this!" screamed Tyson making a move to punch the wall, but Kai grabbed his wrist. Wide, misty brown eyes stared up at the Russian.

"What good will breaking your hand do?" Tyson growled angrily and spun on his heels and opened the front door. "Where are you going Kinomiya?"

"Letting off some steam. I can't just sit around and do nothing."

"Follow me." Kai said, leading Tyson by his hand through the house and they stepped out to the backyard. Kai flipped on the porch light and Tyson gasped.

"Woah! You did all this?!"

The backyard had been transformed into an intense beyblade training arena. Tyson looked up at the enigma and grinned. "Guess you couldn't just sit around and do nothing either."

"Hn."

Tyson readied his launcher. "3..2...1! LET IT RIP!"

* * *

There we go...this is over 4,000 words, and I will get the next chapter up ASAP! Please leave a review telling me what you thought! :)


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: ** **glares at lawyers**** Really? You're still here? I told you! I have nothing! I own nothing! Shoo!

So as an apology for the lateness of the last chapter, I'm releasing this one a few days early. As also a treat to those who are finishing with exams. A special thank-you to Demons of the arch angel for beta-reading this for me!

This week in my life I got a boyfriend and now suddenly everyone and their dog wants to spend time with me...I'm actually super introverted. Spending time with people drains me like nothing else. I cancelled plans with 2 of my friends today, just to find out, 5-minutes later my mom had a massive ear infection. So I went with her to the doctor's to get her some antibiotics. Tomorrow I'm visiting another one of my friends and her twins, then I go back to work and deal with a bunch of adults who act like high-schoolers. **cries** Make it stop! I want to write!

Thank-you to Demons of the arch angel, Tyka's Flower, ffionfoxglove, CorynofHoole, TofuNinjacat and chibiduo for all your reviews and amazing support.

Enjoy episode 34!

* * *

"Welcome back Beyblade fans to Day 2 of the Beyblade World Championship! In our last round, Bryan and Eric's brutal beybattle ended in a draw and both players fell from the platform and taken to hospital. We have word that both of them are doing A-OK and will be competing in today's matches. Steven, who was also taken to hospital, has also been cleared to play today by doctors. With that out of the way, let's see today's match-ups for the first set of round 3!" DJ Jazzman pointed to the mega screen and the player's names were scrambled and everyone watched with bated breaths as the pairings were chosen. "And we have:

Claude vs Bryan  
Steven vs Oliver  
Tyson vs Matilda  
Kane vs Kevin  
Kenny vs Anthony  
Kai vs Brooklyn  
Robert vs Hiro  
Eric vs Rick  
Gary vs Carlos  
Mariah vs Pam  
Aaron vs Jessica  
Julia vs Sam

First up in the next round! So quickly run to the washroom, because you are not going to want to miss out on the action!"

A sinking feeling formed in the pit of Ray's stomach. "Wait, wasn't Pam the blader who sent Steve to the hospital?"

"Yeah, and another kid in the first round." said Tyson solemnly.

Max's eyes went wide when he realized who Rick was up against. Both he and Ray took off running across the other end of the stadium, to where their friends were just stepping up onto the platforms to be carried up to their next battle.

"Mariah! Wait!" shouted Ray.

The pink-haired girl turned to him and stepped off the platform. "What's up Ray? Come to wish me good luck?"

"I need you to hear me out." he gently pulled her by the arm to the sidelines. "I think you should forfeit the next match."

"What?! Are you serious Ray?" she yelled.

"Dead serious." he looked into her fuchsia eyes. "Listen, Pam is bad news. She sent her last opponent to the hospital – there's no telling what level she will stoop down to."

"Look Ray, I appreciate the concern, but this girl can take care of herself!"She ripped her arm away from his and stepped on to the platform to meet her opponent.

"Be careful!" he hollered up to her, praying that she was ready for this.

* * *

Meanwhile, Max was having a similar conversation with his former teammate. "Fuck no Max! I ain't quitting!"

"He sent _Bryan_ to the hospital! _Bryan!_ He's one of the toughest players around! Please Rick, we both know Eric is playing dirty!"

"Look Max, I'm not backing down. If things start getting dicey, I have tons of street-fight experience to fall back on. Worry about your own battles." he stepped onto the platform.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." said Max as he watched his friend slowly ascend to what he prayed wasn't his last match.

* * *

"Kai!" Tyson clasped his hand on his rival's shoulder, making the man turn around and face him. "Just wanted to say good luck out there buddy. Brooklyn is a tough opponent, but I know you'll beat him."

"There's no way I'm letting that lazy, carrot-top or anyone stop me from out re-match Kinomiya. I trust you will do the same."

"You know it, man. It'll be me and you at the finals." Tyson gave his signature smile and a thumbs up, and Kai felt all his worries disappear. Win or lose, Tyson was always going to be there. As the one minute warning was called, the bluenette quickly scampered off to start his own battle with Matilda.

Kai stepped onto the hard, steel platform and closed his eyes as it started ascending. He could see the universe only his beloved and himself knew about. He remembered that battle, the sheer power they both had displayed. That's right...Next to Tyson, despite all his natural talent, Brooklyn was nothing.

"Hmmm, nice to see you again Kai. You might as well forfeit now, you're never going to beat me." The ginger-haired beyblader said lazily, but Kai could see the fire within those emerald eyes. A fire which had not been there the last time they had battled. He could see that, despite his trash talk, Brooklyn was just as excited for this battle as he was.

At last he had found his beyblading spirit.

At the prospect of facing a worthy opponent, his heart quickened, he could feel the adrenaline that was being pumped into his veins, he grinned wickedly. "Hn. Don't bet on it." He readied his launcher, his fingers itching to pull the ripcord.

"All bladers ready?" asked DJ Jazzman, looking over the arena of 48 bladers, each of them in a heated staring contest with their opponent, their blades ready to launch at any second. A hush fell over the crowd and he started the countdown. "3...2...1! LET IT RIIIP!"

* * *

It was chaos. The audience was on the edge of their seats as the most brutal battles in beyblading history played out. Thousands of eyes were glued to the jumbo screens in the arena and around the world, no one daring to blink as metal ground against metal.

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light blinded them all. A piercing scream made their hearts stop and they all watched in horror as Mariah was the first to fall. It was like slow motion, as they watched the woman fall 50 feet, some of the more squeamish ones closed their eyes, fearing the worst.

Fortunately, Ray Kon had been cheering for his friend on the ground, and using his lightning-fast reflexes, he managed to catch the girl before she hit the concrete floor. All cameras were on him as he held the blood-soaked girl in his arms, and the audience held their breath.

"She's not breathing!" he cried in panic. "MEDIC!"

* * *

The Emergency Doctors couldn't believe their eyes at what had come through their doors. _**Children.**_ Children with injuries that were just not natural, often accompanied by an entourage of people. Just what on earth was going on?

For Misa Tsubana, she had never seen anything like it. The first one was a Chinese, pink-haired girl, who was rushed in. She had 3 long gashes on her chest, cuts littered her arms and face. First responders had her incubated, which meant she wasn't breathing. She was place in Trauma Room 1 as doctors tried to resuscitate her, while what Misa assumed to be her brothers – a tiny little boy with green hair, a handsome-looking man with a long ponytail, another man wearing only a orange vest and baggy trousers and a very large man with brushy eyebrows sat in the waiting room. All four of them were crying.

Then came the second one. A large, very fit African-American came in with 3 similar gashes as the pink-haired woman, he at least was conscious but seemed to be in a considerable amount of pain. A blonde woman and a small blonde boy accompanied him. He was taken to Trauma Room 2 to get treated, while the blondes went to comfort the family of the Chinese woman.

Then a ginger-haired, very handsome male came in with what appeared to be only a couple of scrapes, but according to first responders, he had passed out from total exhaustion. They were able to find a room for him right away.

But nothing could prepare Misa for what came through those doors next...

"Kinomiya, I said that I'm fine!"

"Yeah, well you said that last time you battled him and I found you passed-out in a pool of your own blood! Sorry dude, but this time I'm making sure you get checked out!"

A blue-haired teenager was wheeling in another male on a stretcher. Her green eyes widened. This man was covered in blood! At once she was at the patient's side. "I'm Dr. Tsubana, can you tell me what happened?"

"I said I'm fine! I don't need your help!" shouted the man gruffly. Fortunately his friend came forward.

"As you can clearly see, he's not fine. His name is...um...Alexander Takahashi and he was in a beybattle that got a little out of hand. He's already passed out once, and just woke up a few minutes ago, which is how I was even able to get him here in the first place. Chances are pretty good that he will pass out again too."

"...That's a stupid name." mumbled the patient.

"If you had just answered the nice lady instead of being a jackass, you could've picked your own."

Misa raised an eyebrow. A fake name? That was interesting. "Look, I don't care what your name is, but I am going to need a blood-type."

The blood-covered man stayed silent, taking favour in glaring at her instead. The blue-haired teen sighed. "A-."

"How the fuck did you find out my blood-type?!"

"Kenny found it in your files along with your birth date." the teen answered, exasperated. "Look, promise me you will stay here, rest and get treated and I'll promise you that you won't miss your next match."

There was a moment of silence.

"Fine." The older male agreed.

Misa quickly paged a doctor and "Alexander" was taken away in the direction of Trauma Room 1. As soon as the man was out of ear-shot, the bluenette's sunny disposition changed into a serious one. "Look, I'm sorry about him, but you need to keep an eye on him. He _really_ doesn't like hospitals."

"I'll make sure of it." She watched him glance over at the family in the waiting room and there was pain reflecting in those bright brown eyes.

"C-Can you give me an update on the pink-haired girl who was taken here not too long ago? I-If it's bad news, I want to be the one who has to break it to them...something like that, well it should come from a friend and not some stranger, right?" he gave her a watery smile and she was touched by his tenderness. She found herself unable to refuse.

"Okay." She ran over and burst into Trauma Room 1. "The patient's family wants an update!"

All was still.

No one spoke.

She feared the worst.

"It's a miracle!"

"What is?"

"Misa...this woman was dead!"

"So she's not?"

Her friend, Marlow, grabbed her by the shoulders and was visibly shaking. "We...we called time of death and we must've left the door open...there was this boy who just walked in...Oh my god Misa! He was covered in blood! He just walked up to her body, leaned over and cried... Then – then they both glowed! They _freaking_ _ **glowed**_! Suddenly she was breathing! Look Misa! Heartbeat. Blood Pressure. Heck, the lacerations on her chest are gone! It's a freaking miracle!"

Her green eyes darted around the room. "Where's the boy?"

"That's the crazy part! All he said was 'She'll be fine now.' and he left! Just like that!"

"Wait...you said a boy covered in blood?"

"Yeah...it didn't seem to affect him at all!"

Could it be? She ran out to the waiting room, if there was anyone with answers, it would be that blue-haired boy.

She found him in the same spot she left him. "Um...I don't know exactly what to tell you." She began.

"The truth would be great."

"Well according to my college, your friend was pronounced dead, but-" she looked up to see all the hope in the world in those honey-brown eyes, "-apparently a boy, sounding very familiar to your friend Alexander, just walked in, cried, there was a lot of glowing and now the woman is completely healed."

The boy's face broke out into a million-dollar smile. "That's great news! I'll tell the family!" He turned.

"Wait! You know what happened in there...don't you?"

He turned back and grinned. "Nope, not a clue mam." He rushed over to his friends.

Misa stood there shell-shocked. Just who were these people?!

Tyson was all-smiles when he approached Ray. "Just spoke to the nurse, Mariah is going to be just fine!"

Ray sighed in relief and collapsed into one of the chairs. "Thank God!"

"And Rick?" Max asked anxiously.

Rick's voice suddenly resounded throughout the waiting room. "Jeez! Watch it lady, I am **not** a PIN CUSHION!"

Max chuckled. "Well that answers that. How's Kai?"

Tyson sighed. "Kai is Kai. It took me promising him that I wouldn't let him miss his next match before he would co-operate. Speaking of matches, we better get you guys back to the bey stadium before the next match starts."

Ray, Lee and Kevin looked at each other with uncertainty, not wanting to leave Mariah. "Go ahead, I'll stay with her." Spoke Gary, "She wouldn't want you guys to miss a match because you were fussing over her anyways."

"Big guy does have a point." agreed Lee.

"Then that settles it." Ray flashed Gay an appreciative smile. "Thanks Gary."

"No problem."

"I'll stay here too Maxie." announced Judy, "That way you can focus on your next match."

Max smiled. "Thanks Mom."

* * *

The bladers walked back to the stadium, where they found Kenny sitting on one of benches on the sidelines of the stadium. "Hey Chief, any word on the next matches?" asked Tyson.

"Not yet, the judges are still deciding if the creeps who sent Mariah and Rick to the hospital should be penalized or disqualified. Emily is up there right now with Mr. Dickenson and the other officials going over the video footage with a fine tooth-comb."

"Still?! We've been gone for nearly an hour!" Ray exclaimed.

"Yeah, they must be having a heck of a debate."

"Yeah, but what for? Unless..." Tyson's eyes widened in realization.

"Unless what Ty?" asked Max.

"Unless they're real idiots." snickered the bluenette.

Max joined in the laughter, But Ray eyed the World Champion suspiciously, feeling that there was something that he wasn't telling them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have come to a decision." Mr. Dickenson's voice came over the loudspeaker and everyone went silent. "After careful examination and lengthy deliberation, we have concluded that no rules were actually broken, so Pam and Eric will not be penalized."

"What?!" exclaimed Max and Ray.

Tyson slammed his hand on the table. "They have to be joking!"

Mr. Dickenson continued. "That being said, we have asked both beybladers to tone down their aggressive style of play and all of their battles will be taken place on the ground instead of the platforms from now on. As for today's battles, we will start the last 12 matches of the third round and will conduct the forth round tomorrow, to give players adequate recovery time."

Upon hearing that, Tyson sighed in relief. Kai now had a full night to recover in hospital.

"Alright, you heard the man!" said DJ Jazzman into the microphone, "Let's find out what the next match-ups are for the next set." There was a long pause before he continued. "The pairing for set 2 of round 3 are as follows:

Ray vs Max  
Crusher vs Ming-Ming  
Miguel vs Emily  
Ian vs Eddy  
Micheal vs Lee  
Tala vs Daichi  
Spencer vs William  
Mystel vs Angel  
Garland vs Alceed  
Johnny vs Enrique  
Selima vs Gokie  
Jim vs Raul

All beybladers report to their respective beydish in 5 minutes!"

Ray and Max looked at each other with determination. Now that they knew everyone was safe, they could put everything they had into the match. "Good luck Maxie." Ray said good-naturally.

"You too Ray." said Max as they shook hands.

Tyson grinned. "How about loser has to buy food for everyone at the hospital?"

Both men lit up and gave each other challenging smirks. "Text Kai that supper will be on Max tonight, because I don't intend on losing."

"Nah. Text the sourpuss and ask him what's the most expensive place in town, 'cause Ray's buying!"

"How about both of you quit thinking about food and get your asses up there!"

Everyone's hearts stopped dead as shivers ran down their spines, and they snapped their heads towards the authoritative voice they would know anywhere. Tyson was the first to recover. "Kai! What the hell are you doing here?"

The enigma was covered in blood-stained bandages, wearing nothing but a black trench coat and baggy navy-blue sweatpants. "making sure you guys don't put on a crappy performance. Now get up there!"

Ray and Max didn't need to be told twice, they hurried and jumped onto the nearest platforms and met each other at the very top.

"Are you ready?!" screamed DJ Jazzman into the mic, "3...2...1! LET IT RIP!"

Blades flew and clashed in mid-air.

* * *

"Awe, better luck next time Ray." said Max, handing his blade back to him.

The battle had been close. Ray had come at Max full-force right at the start of the match, but Max's Draciel withstood the barrage of lightning-fast attacks, and when Drigger was at its weakest, he slammed into it and knocked it out of the dish.

"Yeah, you got me fair and square Maxie. So...Chinese food good with you?"

"As long as I can put mustard on it." The friends laughed before returning back to the ground, where Kai and Tyson were waiting.

"That was an awesome match guys!" exclaimed Tyson rushing over to them. "I can't wait to face the both of you!" The three of them shared a competitive smile before looking over at their former Team Captain nervously.

"Kai, the fourth round isn't until tomorrow, we're taking you back to the hospital." declared Tyson.

"They discharged me."

" **What?!** " The three of them said in unison.

Tyson glared at the Russian and sent an icy blast of wind at the dual-haired man, who withstood it. "That's for paying off the doctors." growled the baseball-capped teen.

Kai chuckled. Tyson knew him too well.

"You guys head back to the hospital." said Tyson, "I'm going to take Mr. I-don't-like-hospitals home."

"Alright Ty." Max and Ray waved good-bye and left with the chief en-tow.

Tyson sighed. "Okay, I'll call us a ca- Kai! Where are you going?!"

Kai held up his keys as he walked away. "Driving us home."

"You're in no condition to drive, let alone walking for that matter!"

"And yet here I am."

* * *

The drive home was silent, but as soon as they were in the safety of their own home, Tyson finally broke the silence. "I know you wouldn't break a promise to me unless you absolutely had to, so what happened?"

A ghost of smile appeared on Kai's lips. Tyson just understood. "That same creep who cornered us in Australia was going to be my doctor. When another doctor asked him something, I made a break for it and ended up running into the nurse you were talking to earlier. I explained to her that I was wanted by a powerful criminal and she took me into an empty room and treated my injuries. I paid her off to get rid of my charts, keep her mouth shut and to keep the guy away from the other bladers."

"I see." Tyson said sighing, before sitting on the couch. He stared at the ceiling and crimson eyes looked at him in concern. "I think some the tournament officials are working for Boris. Eric and Pam only got a slap on the wrist for nearly killing Rick and Mariah."

"Yeah. I figured there was something up when the judges gave us strikes instead of declaring it a draw or ordering a re-match when you fell. Boris doesn't want us to win."

"No kidding. Makes me wonder what else he has up his sleeve." They were silent for a moment as the thought about the endless possibilities of why Boris wanted his bladers to win the tournament. "...Thanks for saving Mariah."

"Hn. Don't mention it." Kai took a shaky breath, looking uneasy for a moment. "I need a favour."

Tyson looked to his friend, confused. "Sure Kai. What do you need?"

"I need you to use Dranzer's power to heal me."

Tyson's heart pounded, he felt his cheeks heating up as he recalled the last time he had healed Kai...and the kiss. He gulped before putting on his brightest smile. "Sure bud, we can give it a try!" He got off the couch and stood before the older man. Both boys closed their eyes and connected their spirits to each other and Dranzer. Tyson felt the hot power surge through him and he thought about Kai- how he had pushed himself too hard once again against Brooklyn. How much it had torn him apart watching their fearsome beybattle, as they each laid everything on the line. The blood that poured from Kai's wounds as he braved each attack.

The tears came quickly, each one of them splashing on Kai's porcelain hand, but just like last time, the magic just wasn't there.

Tyson dried his eyes. "Sorry Buddy."

"Don't worry about it." said Kai gruffly as he walked towards the staircase. He paused. "Goodnight."

Marveling at how much the Phoenix Master had changed over the years, Tyson smiled. "Goodnight Kai."

Later that night, Tyson crept into Kai's bedroom and stood beside the sleeping figure. He connected his soul to Kai's and called upon Dranzer, as his body descended and he gently kissed Kai's soft lips. At once Kai's body started to glow and his wounds disappeared. "There you go buddy." The Dragon Master whispered as the light faded and all energy left his body. He collapsed next to the sleeping Russian.

* * *

So there we go! I hope you all enjoyed! Please leave a review so I know what you thought :)


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: ** **throws chocolate at lawyers to keep them at bay****

So hello everyone, I hope you all are doing well! I am currently nursing a sprained ankle and my hours have been cut at work, which means more wonderful fanfiction for you all :) I'm going to see if I can finish a few stories that I have started.

Thank-you to Little A Granger, Violet Hiwatari, Tyka's Flower, Demons of the arch angel, FlamingIce94 and CorynofHoole for reviewing and extra special thank-you to Demons of the arch angel for once again beta-reading for me :)

This chapter took a bit of time to edit because I had to re-write it...I kinda realized I fucked up big-time and had to re-order things so they would make more sense later on in the story. Hopefully I sorted out all the kinks :S

* **Reads chapter over** * Can it be? No warnings for this chapter! Lucky you guys!

Enjoy Episode 35 of Beyblade Season 4: Borderline.

* * *

When Kai awoke the next morning, the first thing he noticed was that Tyson was fast asleep in his arms. He raised a grey eyebrow...How did that happen? Brushing it off that the boy must've had a nightmare or something, he kissed the Midnight Angel's forehead tenderly. The second thing he noticed was that he felt no pain. He quickly checked himself over, surprised to see that all of his injuries were gone! He looked down at the sleeping boy and kissed his hair. It did work. Probably just needed more time for Dranzer's powers to work, since Tyson was not her master. He looked over at the alarm clock that was on his bedside table and his mind was thrown into a panic. 9:15am. Their match started at 10am and it took 30 minutes to drive to the stadium. His internal alarm clock had failed him. Praying that this would be one of the days that it would be relatively easy to wake Tyson, he shook the sleeping teenager's shoulders roughly. "Kinomiya! Wake-up!"

Tyson snored away.

His mind travelled back to what Max had suggested and he tickled the bluenette. The results were instantaneous as Tyson started laughing uncontrollably. "Ok! Ok! I'm UP!" He pleaded.

"Good, because we have less than 45 minutes before the match starts.

Tyson's eyes widened till all you could of his irises were pinpoints, until his trademark smile returned. "Bet I can get ready faster than you can!" he got up and raced out of the room. Kai leaped over to his closet and threw on a fresh battle outfit and grabbed his Dranzer blade from under his pillow before running down the stairs with Tyson hot on his heels.

They climbed into the vehicle and that's when Tyson noticed was missing from his rival's cheeks. "Kai, your face-paint!"

"I know!" he reversed out of the driveway and onto the street. Once they were on the highway though, he said, "Kinomiya, take the wheel."

"What?!"

"Just take the wheel and keep it between the white lines on the road."

"Are you seriously letting me drive?!" asked Tyson bewildered.

"Just for a minute." Tyson's hand reached over and he grabbed the wheel, keeping it steady. Once Kai was certain Tyson wasn't going to kill them, he took his hands off and flipped open his visor mirror and pulled out the face paint that Max gave him from his scarf and started applying it to his face.

"Really Kai?! _Now?!"_

"Eyes on the road Kinomiya!" The Russian snapped, continuing to put on the blue liquid. Once his shark fins were finished, he placed the face-paint back in his scarf and regained control of the vehicle.

Tyson didn't know where to put his face. The shark fins were perfect. He chuckled. "Wow Kai, that was so girly of you."

"Says the person who refuses to leave the house without that stupid hat."

"Hey! It was a gift!" The younger protested.

"From that asshole brother of yours."

"Take that back!" Tyson growled.

"No."

The tension between them became thick, but when Tyson realized that picking a fight in a vehicle that was going over 120km/h was not the wisest decision, he took a breath to calm himself. "Look, I'm sorry for saying that you were girly."

"Hn. Your brother is still an asshole."

"Yeah, I know, but he's still my brother."

"Hn."

After a few moments of suffocating silence, Tyson couldn't take it anymore and turned on the radio and "Courtesy Call" by Thousand Foot Krutch was blasting through the speakers and he started singing along. Kai glanced at the boy and smiled. The argument was over and they were back to normal. Just like that. That was just the way it was with them.

* * *

They arrived at the arena with only seconds to spare, as they saw all 48 blades taking their stances at the beydish. They squeezed in between Tala and Spencer.

"Heh. Tyson's sleeping habits rubbing off on you?" teased the red-haired Russian.

"Judging from the bags underneath your eyes, you barely made it here yourself. Just how many rounds does Bryan demand?" came Kai's cool retort.

"Shut-up." growled Tala, his cheeks burning in embarrassment, as Tyson giggled.

"What's going on?" asked Kai, confused to why so many bladers were here at once.

"Round 4 is a Battle Royale. Winner gets a strike, bottom 19 lose a strike."

Realizing that losing a strike meant elimination for many players here, Tyson's blood boiled. "Brutal." He readied his blade.

" **3...2...1! LET IT RIP!"**

48 blades were released into the arena, most of them with the same idea as they teamed up against Pam and Eric, knocking their blades out of the dish and eliminated the danger. That's when Kai realized that blades were breaking off and forming into groups, and soon he found himself being surrounded by the former members of the White Tiger X.

"That's the problem of being a loner, Kai." said Ray, smirking in triumph. "Everyone attack!" as the blades came after him, Kai desperately looked for a way to escape the circle. Unfortunately, the dish was a traditional style one, so there were no special features that he could use to his advantage. There was only one thing left to do. As Gary's Galazzy blade was closing in on Dranzer, Kai made Dranzer tilt forward , so that it scraped against the ground, in result, instead of crashing into Dranzer, Galazzy ended up speeding over Dranzer's surface and was launch into the air, allowing Dranzer to speed up, causing the White Tiger's blades to crash into each other as he broke free.

"I got him!" shouted Mariah as her Gallux sped up the side of the dish and saved Galazzy from leaving the dish.

"Thanks Mariah." Thanked the brushy-eyebrowed oaf.

"No problem!"

Unfortunately for Kai, the White Tiger's blades were faster than his own and were on his tail quickly. A drop of seat trickled down the Phoenix Master's face. This wasn't good. The White Tigers had skill, experience and amazing teamwork. On a one vs one match, Kai could defeat nearly anyone, but this...Ray was right. He was a sitting duck on his own.

He glanced over at Tyson's Dragoon, it seemed like it was having some trouble as the former PBB All-Stars – including Max, was attacking the white blade from all sides. An idea started to form in the enigma's genius mind. He quickly glanced at Tyson on his left. "Kinomiya! Break away and meet me in the middle!"

"Easier said than done, man." groaned the Dragon Master as Emily's blade hit Dragoon hard.

"Just do it!"

Tyson thought for a moment before his game face was back on. "Alright, let's go Dragoon!" The white blade hurriedly climbed up the side of the dish as at a ferocious speed, doing a back flip and landing in the middle next to Dranzer. Eleven blades surrounded them. "Ok, now what?"

"Remember that move I taught you?"

"With the wires?"

"Same rules apply here." Tyson though for a moment, until he realized Kai's strategy.

"I get it!"

"Alright, let them come to you."

Micheal and Lee led the attack, and in perfect synchronization Dranzer and Dragoon did a black flip over them, causing the other blades to crash into each other and a new battle began.

They were safe for the moment.

 **Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang.**

The duo watched as 4 were knocked out of the dish and stared at the beyblade responsible. Kai glared at the carrot-topped beyblader. "Brooklyn, I have no time to waste on you."

"C'mon. This time I have company." Metal Drigger came up beside Zeus and Tyson glared at his brother.

"So it's come to this." said the 17-year old.

"Afraid so, little brother. We're going to show you how pitiful your skills are."

Tyson smirked. "Sorry Hiro, but we're going to win this one." Kai could feel the danger in Tyson's voice. He wasn't going to hold anything back.

Electricity could be felt in the air as the men stared each other down. For Kai and Tyson though, something else began to happen. They were suddenly hyper-sensitive to each other. They could feel each other's every twitch, like their souls were suddenly connected. They gave each other a knowing smile and they attacked.

The audience watched, completely captivated by the elegant synchronization of the two blades. They had seen tag team matches before, but the way Dragoon and Dranzer moved together, completely playing off each other's strengths and covering for each other's weaknesses made F-dynasty look like amateurs. The crazy thing was Kai and Tyson looked like they were having the time of their lives.

The match was intense.

Brooklyn's natural talent and Hiro's experience made them a good team, but in the end, they didn't have the teamwork that Kai and Tyson did and were knocked out of the dish.

Kai and Tyson sent each other a victory smile, when Dranzer and Dragoon whizzed past their heads. The rivals looked at the lone pink blade that spun in the centre of the dish incredulously, then at its owner, who grinned triumphantly. "Never let your guard down boys." said Ming-Ming, twirling a long blue strand of her hair.

"Ming-Ming wins the match!" cried Jazzman and the crowd went crazy.

Staring at his defeated Dragoon, dumbfounded, Tyson asked, "What just happened?"

"Little popstar is a cut-throat bitch." muttered Kai angrily, retrieving his blade.

"Woah! What an upset ladies and gentlemen! Ming-Ming has triumphed over all 47 players and has earned herself another strike! Now let's go to the rankings!" The player's stats came on the mega-screen and several were greyed out. "After yesterday's matches, Claude, Kevin, Enrique, Gokie, Jim, Sam, Lorne, Carlos, Shannon, Angel, Jessica and Anthony were eliminated. Now after this match, Matilda, Aaron, Emily, Steven, Johnny and Kane have been all eliminated. Thank-you to all of you who have participated in the tournament, we hope to see you next year! Now we will give the players a one-day break and round 5 will be held on Friday!"

Seeing so many strong opponents be cut just didn't sit right with the World Champion and he could see from Kai's expression that it bothered him as well. They exchanged glances- Tyson with his begging eyes and Kai with a sigh, followed by a curt nod, followed by a glare.

Max and Ray watched the exchange in awe- those two really did have their own language.

Tyson rushed up to Jazzman. "Yo! Jazzy, can I say something?"

The ref shrugged his shoulder and handed him the microphone. "Floor is yours, Tyson."

"Thanks man." He cleared his throat and he felt thousands of eyes on him, which only fuelled his confidence and made him feel that this was truly the right decision. "I just wanted to say that you are all so strong and have come a long way. I personally invite all the amazing beybladers back to the Dojo for a party to give you guys the proper send-off you all deserve!"

The audience got out of their seats and roared in applause and the beybladers cheered.

Stanley Dickenson looked down at the young man with pride. Still, 5 years later, no one displayed sportsmanship quiet like Tyson Kinomiya. He had thought that the battle royale had been far too harsh, but the other BBA directors insisted on it, saying since there was so many players this was the best way to make sure the tournament didn't drag on forever. This really didn't seem fair to the players, but there was nothing he could do; He had been out-voted.

* * *

Alright...a little shorter than first planned, but you guys have been getting monster chapters recently...the next chapter is the party! Please send me a review letting me know what you thought!


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I do not own alcohol, Russia, paperwork or beyblade.

So I'm in the middle of an emotional week. Basically some girls told me my boyfriend was cheating on me, which he said was all because of one girl getting into a fight with his brother and was jealous and making his life a living hell...anyways, it was a mess and I did not break-up with him, but starting to think I should break-up with him just because he works only 4 days a week and refuses to find another job. Somehow...as a single mother...I make more than a healthy, 25 year old male...do you see the problem here? **sighs** Also, my aunt's cancer has advanced to the point where it's no longer curable and we're saying our last good-byes tomorrow before she flies across the country to be looked after by her family. On top of all this, last night I was so, so, so sick and I was puking my guts out for 5 solid hours. I cried. It was a rough night.

Right now fanfiction is the only thing making me feel better. Shout-out to beygirl1234! Your threesome lemon with talaxbryanxkai was awesome and totally make me feel amazing and got my writing juices flowing! Seriously people, go check it out, it is an awesome lemon.

Thank-you to Tyka's Flower, Beygirl1234, Sam (love you wifey), and Demons of the arch angel for reviewing the last chapter!

Thank-you to Demons of the arch angel for being such an awesome beta-reader!

On to chapter 36!

* * *

Ryu Kinomiya had swelled with pride when his grandson made his speech and now the Dojo was thriving with life. There were beybattles breaking out in the backyard, tons of teenagers and young adults strewn all over the house laughing and joking with one another. Considering there were nearly 50 people here, it really wasn't a crazy party. Seeing that it was already half-past midnight, the old man figured he could safely hit the sack. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to him, it was exactly what two mischievous Russian's had been waiting for.

When Tala and Bryan could hear the elder's snores, they held up one of the bottles of vodka that they had hidden in their duffel bag for all the Dojo to see. "Drinking game anyone?" asked Bryan jiggling the bottle.

All eyes landed on the Kinomiya brothers, silently pleading. The pony-tailed bluenettes looked at each other with identical looks ' **I won't tell if you won't.'** and so a game of "Never Have I Ever" along with the Russian-version of "Seven Minutes in Heaven" commenced. This time however, the 'closet' was Tyson's bedroom and the person would be tied to the bed. Tala had a plan. Despite all his previous attempts to get Kai and Tyson together he had figured out what the problem was – Kai hadn't been nearly drunk enough. He would soon change that...now where was the bastard?

He looking around the forming circle and there was no sign of bird-boy anywhere in the Dojo. He stared at Tyson. "Where's Kai?"

The bluenette rolled his eyes. "Where else would he be? That workaholic is outside training."

"Well go get him!"

Tyson crossed his arms. "Why should I?"

 _So I can get you laid._ Was what Tala so desperately wanted to say to the clueless 17 year old, instead of "Because you're crazy enough to live with him!"

Tyson sighed. "Fine. No promises though."

"Tell him I'll do his paperwork for a month, if that doesn't get his ass in here, I don't know what will!" _Other than the opportunity to see you naked._

"I'll let him know." The Dragoon wielder got up and walked out the sliding doors of the dojo.

Bryan grinned and scanned his eyes around the circle, trying to come up with something good. "Never have I ever been fishing." More than half the room groaned as they took a shot.

* * *

Outside Tyson found Kai practising Dranzer's sharp turns, as he directed the blade to weave in and out of several small rocks at high-speed. Tyson marveled at the sight, taking note of Kai's balance and perfect control. There was no question of why he was his greatest opponent. "So, Tala's offering to do your paperwork for a month if you will get in there and play a game with the rest of us."

"Not interested."

"...Too many people?"

"Hn." he continued practising, a little unnerved of how sharp Tyson's perceptive skills were becoming.

Seeing that Kai was retreating into one of his "leave me alone" moods, the teenager tried a different approach. He looked up into the night sky, admiring all the beautiful orbs of twinkling light that reminded him so much of that place that he was trying so hard to get back to. "Today's match was awesome."

A ghost of a smile graced Kai's lips for a split second before he recalled his blade and walk up next to his secret love, admiring the stars as well. "Yeah."

"I mean it's a little freaky, we knew what we were going to do before we did it, but it was just so cool at the same time, y'know? Totally just zoning out and letting our instincts take over...do you think it will be like that every time we blade together?"

"Possibly."

A comfortable silence passed between the two as they stared up at the Milky Way.

Tyson shivered. "C'mon Kai, we should both turn in before we both catch colds." He turned to leave.

"Kinomiya." Tyson turned to see his rival with his blade ready to fire. "I want to see something."

Tyson readied his own Dragoon.

" **3...2...1! Let it rip!"**

As their blades clashed in the middle and circled each other, Kai watched Tyson closely. He attack, pleased to see Dragoon dodge it and return an attack even stronger without missing a beat. He recalled Dranzer. "Good. You've learned to put the past behind you."

The World Champion rubbed his nose with his index finger. "Yeah. Talking with the chief made me realize I was over-thinking things."

They exchanged smiles, when a particularly cold gust of wind chilled Tyson to the bone. "Brrr." He hugged his arms. "Can we go inside now?" Kai nodded and they entered the dojo...

And right into chaos.

There were drunk people stumbling everywhere, the Dojo had somehow become a dance floor with a few people getting naughty in the corners and the nauseating smell of puke was in the air. Just how long had they been outside for? Tyson stood in shock. "Gramps is gonna kill me."

The image of the furious Kendo Master swinging his stick down at Tyson made Kai wince. "Not if I have anything to say about it." Grabbing Tyson by the hand, he lead him down the hallway...just as Hiro and Brooklyn were exiting Tyson's bedroom. Their clothes and hair were rumpled and there was a white liquid trailing down Brooklyn's chin, they went to the dance floor, hand-in-hand, leaving Tyson to stare at them with wide eyes.

"Brooklyn and My brother...on **my** bed?"

"Don't tell me you couldn't see this coming?" asked Kai, feeling a little awkward.

"Like I would pay attention to my brother's sex life- wait, you knew?!"

"I had my suspicions."

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"None of our business."

"Kai! I so have right to know who my future brother-in-law will be!"

Kai couldn't help but smile. Tyson just found out his brother was gay and was more concern that they had sexual relations on his bed. The boy was truly a one-of-a-kind. "C'mon." He pulled Tyson into his old bedroom, from when he was living at the dojo a few weeks back. "As long as you're not out there, Gramps will blame everything on Hiro."

"Sounds good to me." said the younger male, flopping down on his crush's double bed. "Still wanted to play never have I ever." he grumbled. He raised a blue eyebrow a moment later when Kai pulled out a bottle of Bailey's Chocolate and Cherry Liquor from under the bed. "I thought you said you don't drink?"

"I lied."

"Hmmm, never took you as a Bailey's kind of guy."

"I spike my coffee at work." said the enigma opening the bottle.

"Are you fucking serious?!" demanded Tyson, wondering how many times he had been at work with a tipsy Kai.

"Do you want to play or not?" Kai's voice had that no-bullshit tone.

The blue-haired teen nodded and sat upright, so he was sitting right beside Kai. "Never have I ever been on a date."

"Take a drink Kinomiya."

"What? Why?"

"Because when no one else has done it either, the asker must drink. Eliminates really stupid questions."

"Oh." Tyson took a swig of the bottle and licked his lips. "Mmm. That's good."

"Thought it was perfect for your sweet tooth." Since it was just him and Tyson here, Kai felt like he could safely ask anything or get really drunk. So he said the first thing that came to mind. "Never have I ever cross-dressed."

A blush formed on the younger's cheeks as he took a drink. "It was Ray's Master's idea."

The Russian raised an eyebrow. "And so you did it?"

"It was the day Hiro benched me for our battle and I was in a really bad mood because of it. It was kinda nice to let loose."

Kai was gobsmacked. He would pay any amount of money to see his rival in a dress.

"Never have I ever shaved my balls."

Trust Tyson to be so crass. _Why oh why did he ever agree to play this stupid game?_ Thought Kai as he took a mouthful of the bittersweet liquid as Tyson gawked. "It feels better." he explained.

"But doesn't it itch like crazy?"

"Not if you do it regularly. Never have I ever told anyone I'm gay." his eyes nearly popped out of his skull when Tyson took a swig. Thank-you God he had only had one shot thus far. "Max?"

"Yeah. Told him when we were drinking after he told me he had the hots for Ray...it doesn't bother you does it?"

"Why would it?"

Tyson's heart pounded. Kai seriously didn't care? "I bet you're happy that you don't have any competition to win Hilary's heart now, right?"

 _Wait...what?!_ "I don't like Hilary?"

"Really? Oh wait! You like Emily or Julia right?!"

"Hell no."

"Mariah?"

"Kinomiya. I'm not into women."

It took Tyson a full ten seconds to comprehend that statement. "Wait...you're gay?!" Kai nodded. "Well...that explains the eyeliner."

"I don't wear eyeliner." Kai deadpanned, not amused.

"Are you kidding me?! Eyelashes that long should be illegal!"

"That's mascara, dumbass!"

"Well sorry! How am I supposed to know that? How the hell do _you_ know that anyways?"

Kai grinned devilishly. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes!"

"When I was training in Russia, Tala lost a bet to Bryan and-" He snickered. "We tied him to a chair and-" he giggled, "We dressed him like a girl!"

Tyson burst out laughing. "Oh my god!"

"Pink frilly dress, make-up...everything. Spencer even held him down so we could wax his legs! Bryan even braided his hair!" The boys howled with laughed at they imagined the tough, Russian Captain looking like a 12 year old Irish girl.

The rest of the night was spent reminiscing, laughing and drinking. A night that was long over-due for the two males.

True to Kai's word though, when Grandpa Kinomiya awoke to find the drunken adults and teenagers everywhere, he threatened to beat them if they didn't get their "lil' butts in gear" and start cleaning the place from top to bottom. Kai and Tyson were left alone in that little room, completely snuggled into each other, out of sight and out of mind.

* * *

So there's the long awaited chapter! Send me a review?


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I do not own beyblade, or Takao Aoki. Hmm...I wonder if he's single...

Hello everyone! So things have calmed down this week. One piece of exciting news...I own a car! Before my aunt left, she sold it to me for $500. So I have a car, but no licence xD Oh well, I have a learner's...one step closer to independence. My daughter is with me this week and she has been awesome. I took her out to the park and cooked an awesome dinner...the day before that, I fed her chocolate cake for dinner...Oh well. Can't be perfect all the time. I've started working out...running sucks.

Also, after being encouraged by many of you, I am an **OFFICIAL BETA-READER** now. So if any of you need one, you can message me and I'll take a look at at your story!

So funny story about this chapter...I fucked up. I had Tala originally facing both Micheal and Kenny. I had to go back and figure out who Micheal was originally supposed to be up against...it was Mathida. So...because Micheal loses and if he didn't it would fuck up all my pairings...Mathida wins against Micheal. We really didn't get to see Mathida beybattle...so I guess she could, but if going back was possible, I would make the outcome Micheal would win against Mathida. Their beybattle really has ZERO effect on this story, except for fucking up my pairings. Hell I didn't even write that beybattle. But for anyone keeping score...

I also caused a tiny bit of re-writing for the next chapter because of that fuck-up because I am meticulous as fuck. So there we go...you now know the extent of my craziness.

I also made a huge fuck up in the first draft by giving away too much of the plot. So I went back and re-wrote a scene and its so much darker than he original...I'm sorry guys.

Warnings: This chapter made me want to puke writing it...Barf bowl is recommended.

Thank-you to Tyka's Flower, CorynofHoole, Frog, Chibiduo, FlamingIce94, Little A Granger and Beygirl1234 for all the reviews!

Thank-you again Demons of the arch angel for beta-reading for me!

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Hello beyblade fanatics! We're here at Phoenix Stadium getting ready for the 5th round of the tournament! Hopefully all the players are well-rested and have recovered from yesterday's brutal matches. In just a few short minutes we will be announcing the match-ups, so get your popcorn now!"

Inside the locker rooms, everyone was making the last customizations to their blades.

"Thanks so much Chief, you know I couldn't do this without you!" said Tyson enthusiastically as Kenny put the finishing touches on Dragoon Metal Tempest.

"Yeah, no problem. What are friends for?" smiled the brunette.

"You know you really should be doing your own customizations by now, Kinomiya." came Kai's snide remark.

"Yeah, well everyone knows that Kenny is the best!"

"That, and the fact you know nothing about beyblade mechanics and would probably beg or bribe me to do it anyway." giggled the nerd. "Anyways, I've spent far too much time and worked too hard on this blade to let you even dream of messing with its tender balance and perfect calibrations."

Everyone laughed, because it was true. While Tyson may be the World Champion, Kenny was the brains behind Dragoon's unique design, which gave the bluenette the edge in all of his matches. The rest of the former Bladebreakers could at least make a great blade if they had to, Tyson couldn't even dismantle one if his life depended on it.

"And done! Dragoon should be a little more stable now."

"Thanks Chief, you're a life saver!"

Kai looked down at his Dranzer Metal Blaze. While he had an excellent grasp of beyblade mechanics, and was able to handle most of his blade's repairs, it might be a good idea to give Dranzer a quick check-up. "Hey Chief!" he tossed his blade to the brunette. He almost smiled when the mousey boy asked no questions and went straight to work.

"Do you mind if I make a few minor adjustments? It'll give Dranzer a better balance and increase its overall speed."

The Russian shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, whatever." Deep down though, he was grateful. Kenny was the competition, if anything, he was putting himself at a disadvantage. Then again...no one was ever expecting Kenny to get this far in the tournament in the first place. And if it was anyone else, Kai wouldn't dare risk putting Dranzer in their grimy little hands.

"Here you go Kai!" said Kenny brightly, holding out his blade.

The former captain retrieved it and gave a nod in thanks.

"We should be there for when they announce the parings." said Ray.

"It doesn't matter. Whoever they are, Dragoon and I will show them why we're the champs!" said Tyson cockily.

"Hahaha, watch out Buddy! Draciel and I won't show you any mercy. Not to mention we're beating you in the rankings _Mr. Champion_." teased Max.

Tyson placed his hands on his hips. "Pffft. Big deal. That's only because of a lousy judgement call. When I face you Maxie, I promise it'll be one heck of a battle!"

"I look forward to it." The two friends exchanged challenging smiles.

A voice from the door way caught everyone's attention as Daichi's head poked in. "Hey guys, you coming? They're going to announce the match-ups any minute now!"

"Yeah, yeah. We're coming!" Tyson met Daichi at the doorway and they began walking down the hallway...bickering.

Max scratched his head. "Is it just me or is Tyson more cheerful than usual?"

Ray crossed his arms. "Now that you mention it, he really does. Kinda feel sorry for whomever is unlucky enough to be his opponent. Tyson in a good mood just makes him that more dangerous." He turned to Kai. "Any particular reason he's so happy?"

"I'm not his babysitter." The enigma turned on his heels and walked out the door, a small smile tugging on the corners of his mouth.

* * *

"Wow! This just in from the officials!" said DJ Jazzman making everyone sit on the edge of their seats. "Despite her perfect blading record, Ming-Ming has dropped out of the tournament!" There were several gasps and whispers throughout the audience as the speculated the reason behind her sudden departure. "Well we can all send her our best regards. Now today's match-ups!"

Everyone held their breath as the pairings were revealed.

"So for round 5 we have:

Kenny vs Tala  
Kai vs Eric  
Spencer vs Tyson  
Robert vs Julia  
Pam vs Ian  
Lee vs Crusher  
Miguel vs Bryan  
Ray vs Raul  
Mariah vs Oliver  
Micheal vs Mathida  
Max vs Eddy  
Brooklyn vs Selima  
Mystel vs Alceed  
William vs Daichi  
Garland vs Rick

Would all players please report to the beydish in 5 minutes!"

Across the stadium Eric and Kai were glaring down each other. Just as the dual-haired man started making his way to the beydish, a familiar hand on his shoulder stopped him. "What is it Kinomiya?"

"Just...be careful Kai."

He turned and looked Tyson straight in the eye. "Don't worry about me. Focus on your match. I won't lose."

Tyson visibly relaxed and gave a smile that seemed to light up the entire room. "Alright. Good luck Kai."

Kai then turned back around and started strutting towards the dish, he heard Tyson call out from behind him. "Put that creep into place and give him hell from me!" He pumped his right fist in the air and he felt 20 times stronger. He had made a promise to Tyson. Damn right he would walk through hellfire just to keep that promise.

Eric was waiting for him. "Boris sends his regards."

"Hn. Well you can tell Boris that I'm coming for him next."

The blonde Norwegian blader grinned darkly. "That is, if there is anything left of you after this battle."

"Players ready?" said DJ Jazzman as the bladers loaded their launchers. **"3...2...1! Let it rip!"**

Turquoise and navy clashed and shock waves rippled through the stadium.

Tyson looked away from his own beybattle against Spencer to see what was going on. Kai was standing strong and Dranzer was still spinning, but he didn't like the blood-thirsty look Eric was giving him. He turned to his opponent. "Sorry man, but I gotta get this match over with. My friend needs my support down there. **Dragoon!** " The top suddenly disappeared into thin air.

"Huh?" Seconds ticked by as the large Russian scowered the dish for the white blade.

"Alright, now Dragoon! **Miracle Tempest!** " The World Champion shouted and his blade reappeared and clashed into Seaborg, the gale-force winds hurling the blue blade out of the dish.

All in all, the match lasted just 30 seconds.

Spencer retrieved his blade while Tyson quickly rode the platform down to the ground and dashed across the stadium to Kai's match. He looked down at his blade and couldn't stop himself from laughing. The attack ring was completely demolished. So this was Tyson's power when he wasn't holding back. Kai had a very powerful ally on his side indeed.

* * *

"KAI!"

The Dranzer wielder heard his rival's voice but didn't turn around. "Kinomiya, stay back!" he heard the footsteps stop and a small gasp.

"Kai..."

He was well aware he looked like shit. Eric's Hawkeye bitbeast had wasted no time in going in for the kill. Him and Dranzer had stood strong through all the knife-like winds. Still...he wasn't going to lower himself to petty player attacks – he was however, going to make sure that Eric's blade was turned to ash.

 **"Dranzer!"** He cried, pouring his energy into his blade. Dranzer delivered a hard hit to the opponent's blade and the shock waves sent Eric reeling backwards.

"Hehehehehe. Nice attack Hiwatari. I could understand why you were Boris' favourite. Too bad mine is stronger. Hawkeye! Wind-strike **!** "

Kai bit back his screams as Eric's bitbeast turned the air into a weapon, slicing open his skin. Blood poured down his arms and face.

"Kai! Shake it off! You got this!" encouraged Tyson from the sideline.

Eric looked at the blue-haired teen with disdain. "Your friend is annoying." he narrowed his eyes and Kai felt the wind brush past him and he whipped his head around in fear. Relief washed over him as Tyson stood with not a mark on him.

"You're not the only wind-user here, _Eric_." said the Wind Master, his voice dangerous. "Yo Kai! It's easier to _breathe_ with all of the drafts going, eh?"

Cerise eyes widened. Of course! He could use the wind to his advantage! "It's time to turn up the heat. Go Dranzer!" A huge swirling spiral of blue fire emerged from the navy blade.

"What's happening?" demanded Eric, panicking when his winds only seemed to be feeding the flame.

"Chemistry." said Kai. "More air means more oxygen for fire to burn. Now Dranzer, **Fire Tornado Attack!** "

Eric screamed as he was hit with the hot flames as Dranzer collided with his blade, disintegrating it, he crashed to the floor, with first and second degree burns to his arms and face.

"And the winner is the mighty Kai!" announced Jazzman.

Kai proudly walked up to his rival.

"Way to go Kai!" Tyson said winking, giving a thumbs up.

"Hn." the Russian gave a small appreciative smile. He would've won regardless, but had the battle gone on much longer he would've risked more damage to himself and Dranzer. He looked down at his blade, his eyes widening when he saw the huge crack that went down the side.

"Woah. You should probably get Kenny to look at that." suggested Tyson.

"Yeah. How is the kid doing anyways?"

* * *

They were both surprised to see Kenny holding his own against Tala, the red-head getting more frustrated by the second. "Wolborg attack!"

Kenny's hopper blade dodged at the last second. _All I have to do is last a little longer._ Thought the brunette, wiping the sweat off his brow. He knew Tala's weakness from when they battled in the last tournament and he had made the modifications necessary to his blade so he had a real shot of winning.

"Go Kenny!"

He looked down, surprised to see Tyson cheering him on from the ground. He stared at Tala with determination. If Tyson thought he could do it, then he was going to put his all into this match. He put his plan into action.

Tala grinned like a predator as the annoying little green blade seemed to be finally slowing down. "Wolborg now! **Snowblitz Attack!** "

Hopper was just able to dodge the attack as the entire dish was covered in a thick layer of ice and shards of frozen water rained down like knifes. This was the moment Kenny was waiting for...Wolborg was in the air, left completely defenseless. "Hopper now! **Hyper-Jump!** " His blade bounced up and smashed into Tala's, sending it out of the arena.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." said Tala, flabbergasted to lose to such a rookie.

"Woah! Way to go Chief!" cheered the bluenette. As soon as the victor came down off the platform, he gave him a bone-crushing hug. "Always knew you had it in you."

Tala appeared next to Kai, who let out a few snickers. "Not a fucking word Hiwatari!"

Kai chuckled again, not believing that Tala's over-confidence caused him to lose to Kenny of all people. The Russian Captain was sorely mistaken if he thought for an instant that Kai would ever let him live this down.

Ray joined them a few minutes later after defeating Raul and the group found Max watching Rick's match against Garland.

Seeing the worried expression on the American's face, Tyson asked, "Max...what's going on?"

"It's Rick. There's no way he should be battling against an opponent that strong right now."

"Why?"

"It's his stitches. One wrong move and he ricks ripping them."

"Oh no!" Tyson looked up at the African-American blader worriedly.

"That's his decision."

Max glanced at his former Captain, only now just noticing his battered form. "Kai?"

"Best thing you can do is let him fight his own battles and be there when it's over." The enigma shared a smile with Tyson.

"Yeah, but-"

"Don't worry about a thing Maxie!" Tyson interjected. "Just have some faith in the big guy, will ya?"

"If you say so." Azure eyes looked back to the intense beybattle.

* * *

Rick was sick of Garland's cocky attitude. Sick of his boasting. Sick of his pretentious monologues. And so sick of looking at his stupid, smug face. He was going to take control of this battle and he was going to do it RIGHT NOW!

He summoned up all of his anger and transferred it into his bit-beast. **"Rock Bison, ROCK SMASH!"** He flinched as his chest suddenly felt like it was on fire, his attack stayed strong as his blade hit Apollon and sent it spiralling out of the dish.

"Yeah! Way to go!" he heard from below, as the pain overtook him and he collapsed to his knees.

"RICK!"

His vision became blurry as the platform lowered him down to the stadium floor and Max rushed up beside him. "Rick! You're bleeding!"

"I-I'm fine." he grunted, trying to hide his injury.

"No you're not. MEDIC!" screamed the blonde. He tried standing, but Max gently pushed him back down. "Don't push yourself. Don't worry, I'll take care of you." Rick found himself touched at how much his former teammate cared.

When the paramedics came, he got on the stretcher willingly.

Meanwhile Max's heart was pounding at a million miles an hour, with how much blood that was soaking through the black man's shirt. Not knowing what else to do, he looked to Tyson for support, who patted him on the back and whispered, "Go with him Maxie." He stood there frozen for a second at the implication in his friend's voice, before accompanying the paramedics to the awaiting ambulance.

* * *

"Playing matchmaker now?" asked Kai bluntly as they watched the Draciel wielder get into the emergency vehicle.

"Oh don't pretend you don't see it." chastised his younger roommate.

"Hn."

Their eyes turned to Garland as he approached them. "Hey, do you think Rick will be okay?"

"Yeah, ripped stitches is all. Maxie will make sure he gets taken care of." said Tyson brightly, before looking down at the blade in the white-haired blader's palm. "Woah, dude! Check out your blade!" he exclaimed, pointing to the cracked attack-ring.

"Yeah. I hope he gets better. There's not many bladers who keep me on my toes."

"I'm sure he'd love a rematch."

"Speaking of rematches, I still want one from you Kinomiya."...Something about the way Garland was looking at the blue-haired teen rubbed Kai the wrong way.

"Get in line, Siebald." he growled.

"Yes, yes. Everyone knows how much _you_ want to battle the World Champion." The Apollon Wielder gave a sideways glance and smirked. "I would happily beybattle you for that honour."

"Please, you're not worth my time."

Garland's eyebrow twitched. "Excuse me?"

Tyson looked back and forth between the two males. "Oh Kai, we really should get those injuries looked at!" he grabbed the older blade by one of his well-toned arms and started dragging him towards one of the exits. "We'll talk about that re-match some other time Garland!" he called over his shoulder.

* * *

They were walking down the long, empty corridor when Kai's cellphone started ringing. Not looking at the number, the Russian answered gruffly, "Hiwatari."

"Kai?"

Tyson watched as the Ice Prince's mask shattered completely. "Mom?"

"Oh sweetie. I saw your match with Eric. Are you okay?"

Kai smiled. "Yeah. I'm fine Mom."

"You've gotten so strong." He listened to her take a shaky breath. "Listen Kai, Boris is planning something big. Stay vigilant and keep your friends close."

"Mom, what do you mean by that?! Mom?!" but the line was dead.

* * *

Anya Hiwatari just managed to slip the cellphone into her pocket as the door swung open and the ugly mug of Boris Balkov entered the room. "Are you almost ready for this afternoon? I'm counting on you to give all the details of today's meeting."

Her cold professional mask slid seamlessly into place. "Completely."

"So the Prime Minister still doesn't expect a thing?"

"Please, that old fool couldn't tie his own tie without me." she scoffed, putting on her deep burgundy lipstick.

"Good, but one can never be too careful." he turned his beady eyes to the television where the Beyblade Tournament was being covered. He frowned in dissatisfaction as they replayed the match between Kai and Eric. "Your little brat is screwing up my plans."

"Not his fault that he is better skilled than your players. Besides, it's only one match, do you seriously think that the others will fair against them so easily?"

"Hn. You're right. I still have another ace up my sleeve after all." Anya felt shivers go up her spine as his arms snaked their way around her waist and rested on her bulging belly. "Just 3 more months left, and I will have the perfect child soldier." He whispered into her ear before kissing her neck, his strong musk and his touches made her sick to her stomach and she pushed him away and raced towards the washroom, before proceeding to puke up her stomach contents. She felt his presence behind her. "Still having morning sickness?" he asked with fake concern.

"Dimitri told you I have Hyperemesis Gravidarum. So yes, I am still sick and if you touch me again, I won't hesitant to puke on you." she growled, her ruby eyes glaring at him.

Boris felt his member harden. She and Kai shared that same intense glare. Oh how he wanted to grab her and fuck her till she begged him to stop. He wanted to pound her into the mattress until there was blood everywhere and all that was left of those defiant eyes was nothing more than pitiful emptiness. Oh yes, he had broken Anya's will-full spirit many times over the years he had held her captive. He was itching to do it again, but of course, he wouldn't do anything to harm the fragile life inside her. Not until it was born at least...

But he still had a lot of ground work to do. He had worked hard over the years to push Anya up the political ladder of the Russian Government, and now, if their bladers could win the Tournament, they were going to take everyone's bitbeasts. With that accomplished, they would have Anya convince the Japanese Prime Minister and the rest of the world leaders to outlaw blading and to have their blades confiscated so no one could stand against him. Once the world was defenseless, that's when he and his soldiers would made their move to take control of their world, having the world leaders bow down to his bitbeast army; An army that his unborn son would eventually command. The position that was originally meant for Kai. He would make sure than his son would be the most powerful blader to ever exist, even more powerful than Tyson Kinomiya. Eventually, he would make Kai his again, and this time – he clenched his fist – he would make escape impossible.

Right now all that stood in the way of that future were the former Bladebreakers.

* * *

So...I warned you all this was going to get dark as fuck. Please reveiw? *looks at you with big chibi eyes*


	38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I don't even own booze :( (lawyers took everything!)

So sad news this week, the aunt who gave me her car last week, she past away Monday morning. Her cancer just spread horribly fast. My mom has been a wreck, but thanks to some of the amazing women I've met on here, and my boyfriend, you guys have done a fantastic job at making sure I don't drown in sorrow. Thank-you all! I also got my daughter registered for school, became friends with a 16 year old mother, and...really haven't written much...I've been going through withdrawals, anyone else know what I'm talking about? Writing withdrawals?

Thank-you to Violet Hiwatari, Tyka's Flower, beygirl1234 and CorynofHoole for reviewing the last chapter!

Thank-you to Demons of the arch angel for Beta-reading!

Warnings: Yup, more dark stuff in this chapter. ** **ducks from pitchforks****

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Tyson looked at Kai's shaking form with worried cinnamon eyes. "Kai?" He asked softly, but when he didn't get a response, he laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll get her back."

"Boris has her." Kai said darkly, before looking at Tyson, fear and anger reflecting in his crimson pools. "Boris is planning something. You are all in danger."

"So? What else is new?" Kai looked at him in shock and he grinned. "What? Did you really expect me to drop out of the tournament? Face it man, we've been always in one kind of danger or another since we became a team. We'll just pull through like we always do."

Kai gave a small smile. Of course Tyson wouldn't be intimidated by Boris' threats, and neither should he. He had to trust Tyson and the others to handle themselves. "Right."

Tyson scratched his head. "Though, it might be a good idea if we tell Max and Ray what's going on now."

"Yeah."

Their conversation was interrupted by the loudspeakers. "This is Mr. Dickenson, Chairman of the BBA. After the previous round Rick has been taken to hospital and from our understanding, many blades are in need of repair, because of this, I have elected to have round 7 take place tomorrow morning so players have adequate time to recover from their injuries and repair their blades. The tournament will resume at 10:00am sharp."

"Finally, a piece of good news." breathed Tyson.

"About time the old man found his balls." muttered Kai.

"Well if Mr. D is running the show again, then we don't need to worry about bullshit calls."

"Hn. For now."

Tyson decided to change the subject. "C'mon, let's go home and bandage you up."

"Hn. They're not that bad."

"Dude! Have you seen yourself?! You look like you met with the business end of wood-chipper!"

"Hn." But the Fire Master hid a smile as he let his rival take his hand.

* * *

"Holy Jesus Kai!" Tyson looked at the Russian in horror as Kai stood shirtless in the middle of their livingroom. Cuts marred ivory skin, some of them were starting to scab over, while others were still bleeding fresh blood. "How are you still standing?!"

"Kinomiya, I trained in the frozen Tundra of Russia. If I can block out cold, then I can block out pain."

The pony-tailed boy sighed and dabbed anti-sceptic on the wounds gently, trying not to irritate the skin, he then began to securely wrap gauze around the more-serious injuries. "Wouldn't this be easier if I just healed you again?"

"No. I don't want Boris or anyone else getting suspicious as to why I keep healing so fast."

"That's...a valid point." sighed Tyson, "Are you sure you'll be able to blade tomorrow?" Kai opened his mouth to speak, but Tyson quickly added, "without passing out at the end of the match?"

"Kinomiya, I beat Brooklyn with injuries worse than this."

"If you say so." The younger continued to delicately wrap the injuries.

A moment of silence passed between the pair.

"I will win."

"Huh?" Tyson gave him a confused look.

"No matter whom I'm up against, I will win."

Tyson gave him a bright smile. "I know. Unless it's me. Then I'm totally kicking your ass." The dual-haired male took a step forward and knelt down and his lips were suddenly right against his left ear. A blush worked its way on his tanned cheeks as he felt the hot breath against his skin.

"Come at me _Tyson_."

Oh the way Kai said his name, the deep, smoky voice reverberating against his eardrum made the teen want to melt. The image of him straddling Kai surfaced in his mind and he thought about how much he rather cum _on_ his sexy rival instead. Not being the one to **ever** back down, he said, "Oh I will Kai, and I can't wait to see your face when I do."

The men shared a heated look, before Tyson resumed wrapping the Russian. Once the wounds had been treated, the focus shifted to Dranzer and the ugly crack that ran down its side. "We really should call the Chief."

"There's nothing he can do. The blade is toast." Explained Kai bitterly, grabbing Dranzer's bit-piece and went up the staircase, with Tyson following closely behind. When he was in his room, he grabbed a tool box from his bookcase and dumped out a whole bunch of bey-parts onto his carefully made bed, before sitting down and leafing through them. Tyson looked on from the doorway with curiosity. "You don't have to stand there." said Kai, biting back his amusement.

Tyson accepted the invitation by walking in and sitting on the edge of the bed. Watching the veteran beyblader study the bases with sharp eyes he asked, "Did you get these parts from the Chief?" pointing to the smaller-than-average sizes.

"Yes. These are some of the pieces he used to create the MS blades, there are also some parts here that Tala and I have been experimenting with." He then started assembling a blade, before frowning and swapped out the weight disk.

"I know Kenny has a computer to help him, but how do you know when it's perfect?" asked Tyson in awe.

"When I finally test it. Right from the launch I can feel the difference in speed and weight." He suddenly grinned. "I think I know what will work best." He quickly selected a few pieces and seconds later presented a finished blade to the blue-haired teen, who bent down to look at the navy-blue blade closely. "The MS core with a spring-loaded base to make it easy to switch between offence and defense, with an attack ring Tala and I built from scratch." He carefully placed Dranzer's bit in the centre and Tyson watched in fascination as the Phoenix glowed and a new image formed. "Dranzer Metal Flare."

Tyson grinned. "Wanna test it out?"

In a flash, both men were out in the backyard, their blades spinning in the large red beydish Kai had set-up.

The battle was over in seconds, Dragoon being the blade that was knocked out of the dish. The World Champion stood in awe of the power he had just witnessed, while Kai grinned from ear to ear.

* * *

"Hello Beyblade Fans and welcome to Phoenix Stadium, where we're here on day 5 of the World Championships. The preparations for round 6 are well underway and we will be seeing the match-ups in just a few minutes. Word is both Eric and Rick are out of hospital and will be competing!" announced DJ Jazzman to the thousands of screaming fans.

Kai smirked. So he had sent the fucker to hospital afterall...

"Ok, let's see what the first set of matches will be today!" Everyone watched with excitement as the names were scrambled. "And we have:

Bryan vs Daichi  
Mariah vs Spencer  
Ray vs William  
Tyson vs Raul  
Pam vs Eddy  
Kenny vs Selima  
Julia vs Crusher  
Kai vs Mystel  
Hiro vs Michael  
Garland vs Brooklyn  
Max vs Alceed  
Rick vs Tala  
Eric vs Mathilda

Round starts in 5 minutes!"

Max and Ray looked at their opponents and scratched their heads. "Yo Chief, do we have any data on William or Alceed?" asked Max.

"Let's see." Kenny pulled out his laptop. "Well, these two seem like decent opponents. They both have bitbeasts. Both have strikes. Neither have them used their bitbeasts so far this tournament though."

Ray looked down and smirked. "Looks like we'll have a challenge then."

"Keep your guard up."

"Kai?" Max and everyone turned to the enigma who was leaning coolly against the wall.

"This tournament is unpredictable, don't make the mistake of underestimating your opponent." he said warningly.

"You have a good point there." nodded the raven-haired man as he sized-up his opponent across the stadium.

"Don't worry Kai. We can handle ourselves, you don't need to keep babysitting us." Max said cheerfully with a wink.

 _Like hell I don't_. Thought "the babysitter" as the vein on his forehead began to throb.

Tyson noticed and clamped a hand hard around the Russian's shoulder. "Just don't let Mystel wash you away." he teased. It was no secret Dranzer's greatest weakness was water.

"Just watch me wipe the floor with that circus freak, Kinomiya."

"I don't know, Mystel's 360o attack is pretty awesome." Daichi piped up.

"We'll see about that." said Kai looking down at his new Dranzer, which glowed in response.

They all went their separate ways to meet their opponents.

* * *

Sparks flew as the battles raged on and the audience's eyes darted from one battle to the next. Eric and Mathilda's match came to a close first, Peirce Hedgehog being thrown out of the dish in a mere 10 seconds. Hiro and Michael's matched ended with Hiro as the unsurprising victor.

Then it was Rick and Tala; Due to the American's injuries, Tala won the beybattle, but asked for a rematch once Rick was fully healed, saying that he respected those who chose to blade despite the pain.

Tyson and Raul's, Julia and Crusher's match ended at the same time, both twins suffering defeat. Pam and Eddy's matched was the next to end, with the man's blade in pieces but he had been fortunately spared from injury. Spencer ended up overpowering Mariah's blade and knocked it out of the dish, and Kenny had pulled a surprising win against Selima. Garland lost to Brooklyn, and true to his word, Kai moped the floor with Mystel. Daichi then lost to Bryan.

It was just now Max and Ray left battling. What had seemed like a friendly match in the beginning, was now a gruelling battle. Everyone watched as their blades were torn apart, piece by piece. Both bladers had suffered through multiple injuries, blood was running down Max's arms, and a trail of the crimson liquid was currently seeping through a wound on Ray's forehead, his headband had been torn in the fight. Anyone could see that the Drigger and Draciel wielder's were at their limits.

But one person refused to give up on them. "Max! Ray! DON'T GIVE UP!" Shouted Tyson from below, as his friends struggled to stay conscious and standing. He could tell that both of them were desperately trying to think of a way to turn the tables and attain the upper hand as their blades started to wobble.

"This is the end of the line for you, Ray Kon." A twisted smile appeared on William's pale face, a mad gleam in his amber eyes.

However the Chinese blader wouldn't be intimidated. "Don't count me out yet. Drigger!" His blade stabilized and he narrowly avoided the attack.

"Oh good, it looks like you still have some energy left...so I can torture you more..."

Just meters away, Max wasn't faring any better as his Draciel took a brutal blow, which thanks to his bond, it felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. He swayed on his feet.

This battle felt a lot like the one he had witnessed when Kai faced Brooklyn. He had always believed that willpower was the key to winning, the question was; Did he have enough willpower to win this fight?

Alceed was strong, cold and calculating and apparently...ruthless. His sea-blue Sharkeye blade was withering away Draciel's defenses. He scrunched his eyes in frustration. _What could he do?!_

"It's time to end this. **Sharkeye!** "

 **"Hellhound!"**

Draciel and Drigger were knocked out of the dish, but their Master's locked eyes for a moment and the blades crashed...right into each other! They both bounced off the other and came crashing down into their respective dishes, spinning strongly.

The audience went crazy.

"Oh yeah! Sweet move guys!" cried Tyson, while Kai nodded in approval.

 _That's right boys, use everything to your advantage. You're not fighting alone,_ thought the Russian, his sharp eyes looking for any weakness that his friends could exploit.

"Phew, thanks Ray!" Max shouted over his shoulder.

"No problem. Draciel gave Drigger a speed boost too." smiled the raven-haired blader. "Let's do this Drigger! **Lightning Claw!** " The blade increased its rotation and suddenly started moving so fast it became invisible.

Max focused his concentration on his own match, he summoned up the last of his energy to release one last final attack...

 **"Ic** **e Dagger."**

Azure eyes widened as he felt something pierce through his chest, freezing his body to the core. He looked down to find a spear made of ice embedded in his body. The pain came crashing down on him as he fell backwards.

All he could see was black.

* * *

There we go...it only gets darker from here...please review?


	39. Chapter 39

Disclaimer: I own nothing but a nice rack...

So this week...this week I've done a lot of driving, got into a fight with someone who thought she could boss me around, and I haven't written a single chapter of Borderline in like 3 weeks...thank god I write so far ahead!

A special thank-you to beygirl1234, CorynofHoole, Tyka's Flower, Violet Hiwatari, Little A Granger and kyuubi for reviewing and keeping my faith in this story alive!

Thank-you to Demons of the arch angel for being such a phenomenal beta-reader!

WARNINGS: This chapter is going to be a hard one to read. Grab a kitten to cuddle.

* * *

 _ **"Max!"  
**_

 **Strong arms.** _ **  
**_

" _ **Oh god! Max!"  
**_

 **Pain.** _ **  
**_

" _ **MOVE!"**_

 _Then light. Nothing but light and warmth._

* * *

He opened his eyes and blinked. Where was he? What had happened?

"You're awake!"

The injured boy turned his head to the side to see his former teammate, Rick and a million questions spilled out from his dry lips. "What are you doing here? Where am I? What happened?" His blue eyes widened. "Where's Draciel?"

The African-American grimaced before pulling out the blade, or what was left of it. Both attack and defense rings had been completely shattered during the battle, along with the weight disk. All that was left of the green blade was the base, core and the bit piece. "What happened?" He asked once more.

"Alceed's last attack knocked you off the platform and there was a huge hole in your chest. Seconds later, William defeated Ray. His bitbeast's attack set his body on fire. There was no time- The large man bowed his head and scrunched his eyes, "Kai and Tyson saved you both. Tyson was so angry, he summoned Dragoon and challenged both of them to a battle- right then and there! Kai ordered us to take you and Ray to the corridor and used his powers to heal you both. Shortly after Kai passed out, Dranzer disappeared. Tyson was able to destroy both of his opponents but he was badly injured in the battle and we had to take him to hospital. We brought Kai back here to rest."

It took a few minutes for the gravity of the situation to fully sink in. "How bad are Tyson's injuries? How much time has passed?"

"Only about 8 hours, and they're pretty bad. He collapsed right after the battle."

"And what's Mr. Dickenson doing about it?" asked a new voice.

Max turned to the person who spoke and his face lit up. "Ray!"

Ray entered the room, his hair free from his wrap, and in a tangled mess. It was obvious he had just awoken as well and his clothes were charred.

"There's nothing he can do. They've been over the tapes a hundred times. Both bladers each got warnings but all of this is being classified as a freak accident." explained Rick.

"What?!"

"That's bull!"

"That's what the judges ruled it as. All of the fans are ticked off. Both of you got strikes as well."

"Well that's no surprise. They didn't cut anyone else a break." muttered Ray.

There was the sound of running footsteps and Mariah appeared in the doorway. "Have any of you seen Kai?"

"He should still be in his bed." answered Rick.

"He's not there!" she said in panic.

"AHHHHH!"

The four teens rushed into the dojo where Grandpa Kinomiya was staring at the empty alter. "It's gone! The Sword of Dragoon is gone!"

"He wouldn't..." said Max, glancing at Ray.

Ray folded his arms and bowed his head, "If he's doing what I think he's doing, he probably is."

They looked back to the old man, who was giving them a confused look. "Would you two home dawgs please explain?"

Before either of them could form the words, Kenny appeared in the doorway. "I think I know what's going on."

"Well I'm all ears."

"After Kai healed Max and Ray, Dranzer probably went inside the sword to replenish her energy again. When Kai heard that Tyson was in hospital, he probably took the sword to see if there was a way to heal Tyson using the sword and Dranzer's power.

"Yeah, but why didn't he wait so that we could all go together?" questioned Max.

"It's Kai. I'm sure he has his reasons." said the Chinese male. "And if he's on his way to bust Tyson out of the hospital, then we should stay here and train." he looked at his demolished Drigger blade. "Chief, think you could help us out?"

"Yeah." The beyblade mechanic opened up his laptop and got straight to work.

* * *

Meanwhile Kai was running through the streets of Bey City, determined to get to his beloved. The Holy Sword was wrapped neatly in a random blanket he had grabbed from the house. 8 hours. Boris had 8 hours to get to Tyson. He had 8 hours to do something unspeakable to Tyson's helpless body. He could only pray that Tyson was still in the hospital and not in a dungeon somewhere, at the mercy of the evil abbey priest.

He ran through the hospital doors and rushed up to front desk. "Tell me which room Tyson Kinomiya is in."

The woman typed a few keys into her keyboard. "I'm sorry sir. We have no one by that name here."

Kai's heart stopped. He was too late. Boris had Tyson.

"Oh Alexander! Nice to see you again!"

Kai turned, surprised to see the nurse who had helped him the last time he was here.

"Oh Mary, don't worry. I'll take him to his friend."

His heart started beating again. Could she possibly mean Tyson?

"Right this way, Mr. Takahashi." He followed the green-eyed nurse down the long corridors until finally they came outside a room with the words "Takao Granger" on the outside. He entered and Misa took a quick glance up and down the hallway before softly shutting the door.

Inside, a pale Tyson was hooked up to various machines, a breathing tube was shoved down his throat and his entire left side was covered in bandages, including his face. "He sustained several broken ribs in the beybattle, with one of them puncturing his lung. We re-inflated it, but he was unable to breathe on his own. His entire left side has second and third degree burns, which were most likely caused by a bitbeast. There is also several puncture wounds on his legs and arms, that fortunately didn't hit anything vital.

Right after surgery, knowing your situation, I talked to the Chief of Staff. We changed his name and moved him here, so only myself and the Chief know his real identity."

"Thank-you." Misa looked at the young man with sympathy. This was a far-cry from the headstrong boy who had been wheeled into her ER. He just looked so broken. It was easy to see how much he truly cared for this boy.

"I'll give you a few minutes." She left the room and checked on her other patients.

As soon as the door closed, Kai pulled up a chair next to the bed and gingerly picked up his beloved's hand and held it. He became undone. His cold exterior shattered as the tears fell one by one down his painted cheeks as he recalled what had happened earlier that day.

Max fell first. Rick was able to catch him before the blonde hit the stadium floor. Blood gushing out the hole in his chest.

Then came the heart-wrenching scream as a ball of flame fell from the other platform. Tyson's winds quickly blew the flames out, but the damage was done. Many parts of Ray's skin were melted and fused together. His hair was gone. The White Tigers gently picked him up.

Angered, Tyson had rushed forward, "You take care of our friends Kai, I'm going to teach these guys a lesson." He held up his Dragoon blade.

"Kinomiya! You're outnumbered! Stand down and fight another day!" he had pleaded.

"Not this time Kai. Let me do this!"

Kai knew there was no arguing when he got that gleam in his eye, and he re-directed his attention to the others.

Even now, as he looked down on Tyson's broken body, he didn't regret that decision. Max and Ray would have died otherwise.

The Russian scrunched up his face in frustration. No matter how many times he tried fighting it; by retiring beyblading, hiding Dranzer, keeping his distance...they would always be soldiers. Why the gods ever decided to bestow such a heavy burden upon mere children was far beyond his understanding, especially seeing the person he cared for most in such a dire state, but he would be damned if he didn't try his hardest to protect his comrades. As much as he hated to admit it, as much as he wanted to protect his friends from a distance, they were strongest as a team. And Tyson was the heart and soul of that team. They needed him to come back. He needed him. He slowly unravelled the sword and placed it on the sleeping Dragon Master's chest.

Closing his eyes, he connected his soul to Dranzer's and the sword began to glow purple and slowly started to hover over the Dragoon Wielder's body. Recalling his lessons in ancient studies, he spoke, "Ancient Holy Sword who now protects the Red Phoenix Dranzer, I, Kai Hiwatari beseech thee! Allow me to use her powers to heal Tyson Kinomiya partner to Dragoon!"

The blade began to glow brighter in response and slowly the sword rose and a wild power illuminated the room and a booming voice spoke, **"Tell me Kai Hiwatari, are you willing to do anything to revive him?"**

Cerise eyes glanced to the boy who was laying lifelessly in the white bed. "Yes. Anything."

 **"Then take this blade and plunge it through Tyson's heart."**

Kai froze. "He'll die if I do that!"

 **"Then I'm sorry. I cannot grant your request."**

His heart pounding in his chest, Kai gulped. Tyson could easily spend weeks or months here. "Why can't you release Dranzer to me? I'll use her power then."

 **"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH YOU HAVE DRAINED HER?!"** The voice roared, shattering the windows. **"Since the last time I used my power to revive her, you have used Dranzer's powers to heal four other people, including yourself in the last week!"**

"I still refuse to kill him!" shouted the Fire Master.

 **"You have experienced rebirth yourself, and yet you still doubt my power?"** Baited The Sword.

"Forget it, it's not worth the risk." he turned to leave.

 **"This is about so much more than you realize Kai Hiwatari."**

The Russian paused. "What isn't there to get?! You want me to kill my friend!"

 **"If you don't, the world ends."**

Now _that_ caught Kai's attention. "Explain."

"I can't. You just have to trust me."

Kai looked to Tyson's blade that was shining brightly beside the patient's head. "Dragoon, what do you have to say about all of this?" Slowly, the ancient blue dragon arose out of the top. "What would Tyson want?"

"Do what the sword says Kai."

Kai looked at the Dragon with wide eyes, wishing he had misheard. "WHAT?!"

"That sword has been around for a mellennia and protects the Kinomiya Family."

"Then find yourself another person, because I'm not going to do it." He turned to leave once again, but Dragoon's mighty tail prevented him from leaving.

"It has to be you. Only yours and Dranzer's combined powers can heal him."

Kai's eyes fell upon the unconscious boy. Tyson trusted Dragoon more than anything or anyone else. "Fine." He walked back to the bed and grasped the sword and it turned a bright scarlet. He could feel Dranzer's gentle reassurance. Raising the blade, he held it up over Tyson's broken body and forced it down with all his might. A sickening crack resounded through the room as the blade pierced through the ribcage and right through the beating heart.

* * *

 ****Cries**** Please leave a review to find out what happens in the next chapter!


	40. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: I do not own a talking sword, or beyblade or anything cool like that...

So we're all here finally at chapter 40...Thank-you to all the amazing readers who come back week after week!

Thank-you to Tyka's Flower, Little A Granger, Violet Hiwatari, beygirl1234, , CorynofHoole and Soumita for reviewing!

Thank you to Demons of the arch angel for beta-reading and editing for me! You've been such a tremendous help!

On with Episode 40...Tyson's death!

Warnings: Yeah...you won't like me...

* * *

 **Kai's eyes fell upon the unconscious boy. Tyson trusted Dragoon more than anything or anyone else. "Fine." He wal** **k** **ed back to the bed and grasped the sword and it turned a bright scarlet. He could feel Dranzer's gentle reassurance. Raising the blade, he held it up over Tyson's broken body and** **forced it down with all his might. A sickening crack resounded through the room as the blade pierced through the ribcage and right through the beating heart.**

Time stood still...

Crimson liquid spilled out of Tyson's body as tears fell down Kai's painted cheeks, splashing onto the hilt of the sword. The heart-rate monitor flat-lined; the sound making Kai's mind go haywire as he waited, the white sheets were rapidly turning red.

Kai stared at the pale face, with hopeful eyes, searching for any signs of life to return to the boy who had brought so much meaning to his existence Anxiety crushing his heart with every second that passed, as the sound echoed throughout the room, drowning out his thoughts.

10 seconds.

20 seconds.

Kai broke. "What have I done?!" he sobbed. Body trembling, he fell to his knees. His hand went to his mouth, he felt sick with grief.

The blade suddenly glowed red and transformed into a small ball of white light and it disappeared into the broken body. Slowly, the wounds were sewn together with light, colour returned to tan cheeks and beautiful brown eyes opened.

Tyson started coughing.

Kai hurriedly removed the breathing tube from down his throat.

"Cough, Cough...Thanks man. That did not feel good." Cinnamon eyes took in his surroundings. "Hey where am I? Kai? Woah, are you alright buddy? You're crying!"

It was true, fresh tears had started falling down the Russian's cheeks, overjoyed that the Sword did in fact keep its word and Tyson was alive. He narrowed his crimson eyes. **"You idiot!"** He punched the teen in the face. "What were you thinking?! Taking on _**both**_ of them at the same time?!"

"Ow!" the Japanese male rubbed his cheek. "Well I beat them, didn't I?! Shattered their blades into a zillion pieces! Besides, what was I supposed to do? Let them get away with almost killing Max and Ray? You did heal them right?"

Kai's eyes narrowed. "Of course I did, but were you just going to sacrifice yourself, like your life meant nothing?!"

Tyson became silent, a solemn expression darkened his features, and cold fear washed over the former Captain. "Kino-"

"I wasn't thinking about any of that." the teenager said softly. "All I was thinking about was making those guys wish they had never been born. I got so into the battle that I just didn't realize what was happening to me. Sure, I was in pain, but somehow I managed to block it all out."

Kai sighed. Same ol' Tyson. Beyblade above everything else. That's half the reason he had fallen so hard for the midnight haired angel in the first place. He was just as crazy as he was. "You're hopeless."

"Says the guy who battles Brooklyn, despite knowing that he's just going to send himself to the hospital."

"Hmph. You mean when you drag me to the hospital."

Tyson rolled his eyes. "Same difference. So are you breaking me out of here or what?"

* * *

When they arrived an hour later at the dojo, Ray and Max were deep into practice, but when they saw Tyson, they stopped what they were doing and the three of them embraced each other in a bone-crushing hug. A small smile worked it's way on Kai's lips as he watched the scene from afar.

"I got a bone to pick with ya, Sonny." The Russian glanced over his shoulder and a chill went up his spine. The normally joyful brown eyes now promised pain. Kai swallowed hard. He followed the old man into an empty room and bit his lip. He had never seen the old Kinomiya look so serious in all his life. "Where's the sword?"

"...Maybe you can tell me." Calmly, with great respect, he went into great detail at what happened in that hospital room.

"So the sword is inside Tyson is it?"

"Yes. Along with Dranzer. As I said, I wasn't given much of a choice."

Gramps sighed. "I guess you can't escape fate." he turned around and looked out the window at the full moon. "The sword has chosen Tyson to be its Master. There was nothing wrong with what you did, K-man."

"I stabbed him!" shouted Kai, the agony clearly evident in his voice.

"You did everything you could to bring my lil' dude home. Quit beating yourself up and live in the present." chided the wise Master.

"Maybe...What about Tyson though? What will happen to him?"

"We'll just have to wait and see Sonny. Wait and see."

The next morning Kai awoke to find that Dranzer had returned to her blade and the sword was back in its rightful spot in the Kinomiya dojo.

* * *

"Welcome to Day 6 at Phoenix Stadium! Here, every seat has been sold out and people are sitting on the edge of them to find out who is going to play today! Max and Ray were rushed off the scene after what judges are calling a "Freak Bitbeast Accident" left them both with grave injuries. Our very own World Champion challenged both players at the same time and they had an insane UNOFFICIAL beybattle, with Tyson being the victor after destroying his opponents blades. However, he suffered some serious injuries and had to be taken to the hospital. The question on everyone's minds today is will any of them be able to play today, or will they all be taking strikes? The judges are allowing no extensions to anyone!"

Some members of the audience cheered, while other's booed as they all waited for the match-ups to be announced.

At 9:55am on the dot, DJ Jazzman took the mic. "Alright! There is still no word on who is going to play today and no sign of any of the injured beybladers! So everyone look to the screen to see today's match-ups!" The names on screen quickly were shuffled. "And today we have:

Tala vs Spencer  
Kai vs Max  
Tyson vs Bryan  
Rick vs Kenny  
Brooklyn vs William  
Hiro vs Pam  
Daichi vs Eric  
Mystel vs Ray

Due to the uneven amount of players, Alceed has been granted a by! All players must be at the dish in 5 minutes!"

The crowd waited, holding their breathes as Mystel, Brooklyn, Gin of the Gale, Eric, Pam,William, Alceed, Tala, Bryan, Spencer and Rick came out to meet their opponents, but there was no sign of the former Bladebreakers. 2 minutes past. 3 minutes.

"They have **1 minute** to enter the stadium or else they all give up a strike!" announced the Ref.

Eric and his team smirked in victory. Now nothing could stop them.

Several seconds past.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Everyone craned their necks to the entrance where the sound was coming from.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A figure emerged from the shadows.

The audience went wild as Tyson Kinomiya stood proud and tall; behind him followed Max, Ray, Kenny and lastly, Kai and applause roared throughout the stadium.

Boris' men sent them murderous glares.

"Tyson, are you and everyone else capable of battling today?" asked Jazzman.

"Oh yeah! Nothing but a scratch!" he said, winking to the cameras.

* * *

Halfway across the world, Boris was fuming. "What?!" He exclaimed as he stared at the television with disbelieving eyes. "How?! Yesterday they were all half-dead!"

A ghost of a smile graced Anya Hiwatari's lips. "So much for your aces. They couldn't even take out the weakest members of the Bladebreakers." she began to examine her purple-manicured nails. "Looks like your plans for world domination have been foiled again." A shiver went up her spine as the madman started laughing.

"Hehehehehe. You're right my dear Anya. I'm afraid they only way to get a job done, is to do it yourself." She watched in alarm as he slid a gun into his pocket.

"What are you going to do with that?" she demanded, her heart pounding as he put on a sickly sweet smile.

"Why destroy the Bladebreakers of course."

* * *

"And Kai defeats Max!" The fans went crazy at the amazing victory before turning their attention to the other beybattles that were still in progression.

Max wiped the sweat off his brow and retrieved his blade that had been slammed from the beydish. "Great match Kai!"

Kai smiled and nodded. It had been a great match. Max had improved greatly since the last tournament. He frowned as he inspected his Dranzer...there was a chip in his attack ring.

* * *

"Dragoon! **Hurricane Blast!** " Bryan was blown off his feet, his beyblade landing next to him as Tyson recalled his Dragoon blade before running up to him and helping him to his feet. "Sorry man, I may have gone a little overboard."

The silver-haired Russian gawked as his jaw dropped. "You were _holding back?!_ "

* * *

Kenny groaned in disappointment as his Hopper blade was knocked out of the beydish...this made it his third strike. Racing over, he gingerly picked up the spring-loaded blade and a small smile formed on his lips as he realized something – he was one of the top 20 bladers in the world.

"Yo Chief, look up." said Rick nodding towards the stands.

The boy did and he was in awe. A group of teenagers was standing there, cheering for him, each one of them wearing a similar outfit to his, with long, poofy hair that covered their eyes, holding a sign that read: **Brains Over Brawn!** He smiled and waved at them enthusiastically.

* * *

"Drigger! **Thunder Claw!** "

Drigger turned bright yellow and picked up speed until it was no longer visible to the human eye, then nailed Poisdeon and sent it flying out of the dish. Mystel jumped up and caught the blade easily. "That was a great match Ray! See you around!" the acrobat jumped down from the platform and ran out of the stadium.

"He's such a weird guy." muttered Ray as he rode down the platform down to where the rest of the gang were watching Daichi's match with Eric eagerly. "How is he doing?"

"It's getting ugly." Tyson said as Daichi's blade was grinded against the wall of the beydish.

The Chinese male's fingers curled around his launcher. "Do we need to step in?"

"Not yet. Eric knows that if he does anything fishy, he'll have us to answer to." said Kai, but his hand was clasped tightly around his own blade, ready to fire it at a second's notice.

"Ah!"

Everyone turned to Kenny. "What's wrong Chief?" An uneasy feeling was settling in the pit of his stomach.

"Eric might not have to do anything under-handed. Strata-Dragoon is barely hanging on!"

" **What?!** "

"But how is that possible?" asked Hilary has she turned her head back to the battle, where Daichi's blade was slammed across the dish, only to recover at the last possible second before charging at the Hawkeye blade – a move Daichi quite obviously picked up from Tyson. "Your blades can usually stand up to a beating worse than that."

"Hn. Typical." All eyes fell on Kai. "They can't attack the player anymore, so they're focusing their power on destroying the blade."

"Ugh. What a dirty trick. Would it kill these guys to play fairly?!" seethed the baseball-capped teen as he shut his eyes, knowing there was nothing that they could do. They all watched helplessly as Strata-Dragoon was shred to pieces.

Daichi fell to his knees, his eyes watery as he picked up what was left of his most prized possession. "No! Strata-Dragoon!"

Eric grinned smugly and looked at the group. "One down, four to go." He locked his ice-blue eyes with Tyson's mahogany and they shot each other dirty looks.

"AHHHHH!

Everyone whipped their heads around, only to watch Hiro fall from the platform.

"HIRO!" Tyson ran across the stadium to where his brother lay unconscious, blood pouring from his head as his body twitched uncontrollably. "What the...a seizure?"

Max knelt beside his brother and gently placed two fingers on the elder Kinomiya's neck. His face blanched. "I can't find a pulse! MEDIC!"

Time seemed to slow as a team of medics rushed past him. Cries, sobs and the word "clear" seemed to fade away, as Kai's eyes glanced into the stands and his blood ran cold. Her hair may be different, but there was no mistaking those cold ruby eyes and that sadistic smirk.

Dr. K...

His eyes narrowed when he registered the video camera in her hands. Just why was she collecting data? Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, he intensified his glare and the device overheated and started smoking in her hands.

"Kai!" He turned to see Ray. "You alright? We're taking Hiro to the hospital!"

He turned back to the stands, but Dr. K had disappeared. "Hn. Fine."

* * *

"How is he doing Doc?" asked Tyson solemnly, as the doctor emerged from Hiro's room.

"It's hard to say. From our tests, everything points to that he was somehow electrocuted or struck by lightning. Right now he is in a deep coma. We won't know anything until he wakes up."

"I see." The young Kinomiya bowed his head so his bangs were covering his eyes as he tried to process everything. He bit his lip and struggled to keep his composure as the doctor walked away. Hiro was...His brother was...

"We don't know anything yet."

Tyson opened his eyes, surprised to see Kai standing there beside him. His face seemed cold and indifferent at first glance, but there was a rare gentleness in those captivating eyes. He considered his ex-Captain's words carefully. "Yeah. You're right Kai." It was weird. Just being around Kai made him feel that much better. He glanced into his brother's room where Brooklyn was sitting at Hiro's bedside, holding one of his hands tightly, silently refusing to leave. What was frighting, was that it was obvious that the ginger was bordering on the edge of insanity. He looked back at his roommate and smiled weakly. "No chance on you preforming another miracle, huh?"

Cerise eyes glared, unamused. "My power only works if I shed tears, Tyson." The Russian watched the blue-haired boy suddenly grin impishly before taking off down the hallway. "Now where are you going?!"

"Getting you onions!"

A vein throbbed on Kai's forehead. "Kinomiya!"

* * *

Late that night, a cloaked figure navigated their way through the hospital's maze-like hallways and crept passed the doctors and nurses into the room where the Metal-Drigger wielder lay. Beside him, Brooklyn was sitting on a chair, his upper-half was sprawled out onto the bed, his hand still clasping his lover's firmly as he slept. The figure lowered his hood, his painted shark fins visible in the pale moonlight.

"I'm only doing this because Tyson would never forgive me otherwise and we need every blader we can get." He leaned forward and there was a brilliant flash of light.

Brown eyes snapped open. "What kind of trouble did you get my brother into this time, Hiwatari?"

"Hn. I should have left you in a coma."

* * *

Soooooo...yeah. Made both the Kinomiya brothers suffer in this chapter. Please leave me a reviewing telling me what you thought :)


	41. Chapter 41

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, nor have Takao Aoki chained up in my closet, which is why I have to write this.

So hello everyone! Well despite CONSTANT whining from my room service girl, begging for me to take her shift tomorrow...life is wonderful! My boss offered me another position in the company, so I will be working 2 jobs...meaning I need to really crack down on writing! :S

Oh...plus the fact the province is burning down...

Some of you may have heard about the Fort Mac Wildfire that is going on, which is just a few hours north of here. I'm fine, but my city has taken in the evacuees with open arms...AND HOLY CRAP THE PICTURES OF THE DEVASTATION IS BEYOND AMAZING! Any of you authors wanting to describe a massive inferno with accuracy...look up some of those photos and videos!

Anyways, I'd love to thank Little A Granger, CorynofHoole and Tyka's Flower for being the ever faithful and amazing reviewers.

A special thank-you to Demons of the arch angel for putting up with my crappy grammar and spelling because I write everything at something stupid in the morning. You're amazing girl!

WARNINGS: Um...make sure you have heart medication with you?

Enjoy Chapter 41!

* * *

"Wow, I can't believe it! You knock these guys down and they get right back up again! How do they do it?!" Shouted DJ Jazzman as Gin of the Gale walked in with the rest of the former Bladebreakers team and Brooklyn walking right next to him. The ginger's usual care-free smile was replaced by a hard, stone-cold glare. He was clearly out for blood.

The audience went crazy at the entrance, while the rouge bladers scowled; Their plan was not working.

Their mission was to take out all of Kai's allies, Kai himself, and win the tournament, but the clever Russian was somehow able to keep all his pieces on the board. Which displeased Boris, and after a solid hour of the former abbey priest yelling at them through video chat, he had made himself perfectly clear: They were not to fail again.

"Let's get our next match underway!" Dj Jazzman turned to the mega-screen and the next pairings were randomly selected. "Today our match-ups are:

Eric vs Tyson  
Pam vs Brooklyn  
Alceed vs Kai  
Tala vs Hiro  
Bryan vs Ray  
Rick vs Max

William will be getting a by this round due to the uneven amount of players. The matches start in 5 minutes!"

Kai and Tyson shared a nod. They had to put everything they had on the line and take revenge for all the bladers that Boris' recruits had hurt. Eric and Alceed each had 2 strikes. Just one more loss and they were out of the tournament. Max walked up to Kai.

"Be careful. Alceed has some sort of ice-type bitbeast. Before I fell, I swear he stabbed me with some sort of ice-spear."

Kai and Tyson's eyes widened, then the Dranzer wielder scoffed. "Don't worry about me Max. You should be focusing on your own battle."

"Yeah, but if something happens to you, you're not as easy to heal as the rest of us. Tyson is the only other person who can connect with Dranzer, and if something happens to the both of you-"

"C'mon Maxie, have a little faith in us, will ya?" laughed the Champion, cutting off the blonde as he hooked an arm around his friend's shoulder. "Kai and I can take care of whatever those creeps throw at us." he released the Draciel holder and gave his signature smile before walking off with Kai to their respective matches.

The American sighed. _'I sure hope you're right Tyson, but even players as great as you and Kai are, you_ _'_ _re not invincible.'_

* * *

"Players ready?" The referee asked as the 12 bladers stared down their opponent "3...2...1! Let it RIIIP!"

Right from the launch Kai came at Alceed with a heavy onslaught of attacks, hoping to end the battle as quickly as possible; However, it soon became apparent that his attacks weren't doing any damage.

"Heh, really? Is this all the 'Mighty Kai' is capable of?" chuckled Alceed, "I was hoping for some kind of challenge."

Kai growled in anger and turned his attention towards the turquois blade, trying to figure out why his attacks weren't working. He analyzed his opponent's blade closely, it's specs didn't come close to his Dranzer...so why was he losing? He paid close attention to the way Alceed's blade moved and it dawned on him! It was similar to the way Max battled with Draciel. Right at the last second, the turquoise blade would move slightly so it wouldn't get the full brunt of the attack and actually gain power. "Hn. I've figured out your little trick." He enjoyed the scowl that came over the Sharkeye wielder's face. "Its time to show you one of my own! Go Dranzer!"

* * *

On the ground, Tyson was trying hold on as Dragoon and Hawkeye collided. The aftershocks were rattling his body to the core, spiking his adrenaline. In the middle of the beydish a huge tornado had formed and he and Eric were fighting for dominance of the storm. "C'mon Dragoon, I know we can finish this guy!" Closing his eyes in concentration, Tyson channelled more energy into his blade and the winds shifted in his favour. This was it! Now all he had to-

He coughed as the air was knocked out of his lungs and he spit blood onto the stadium floor as pain radiated from his chest, breaking his concentration and he lost control of the twister as he fell to his knees. As he heard Eric's malicious laughter, he narrowed his eyes into a deadly glare. "That was such a cheap shot! Do you even know how to play this game without cheating?!" He bellowed, trying not to show weakness as he felt warm blood trickle down his torso from the gaping wound on his chest.  
"No and I don't care to!" A crazed look spread over the blonde's face. "My only orders are to make sure that you're out of the way in whatever way I see fit. Good-bye Tyson Kinomiya, this _will_ hurt."

* * *

Above, Kai was struggling against Sharkeye's icy attacks as spears of ice sprang out from all sides, including underground, all of them aimed at Dranzer, as the small blue blade skillfully navigated around each of them. This was one of the few times where Kai was grateful that he had spent so many hours painstakingly perfecting Dranzer's agility, weaving in and out of pebbles, thumbtacks and whatever other items he could find. But enough was enough. " **DRANZER!** " He cried, pouring more of his soul in his blade so now it glowed scarlet and it began attacking each pillar of ice, shattering them.

Alceed however was unfazed. "If you're so good Hiwatari, let's see you get out of this! **Ice Cage!** " Sharkeye rose up from the blade and encased Dranzer into a prison of frozen water, the walls were nothing but thick sheets of solid ice. A manic gleam twinkled in the brunette's eye. " **Enclose.** "

* * *

It was a devastating loss.

Eric concentrated the tornado on Dragoon, hacking the blade to bits, while Sharkeye's ice cage enclosed around Dranzer, completely crushing the navy blade. On the Wind and Fire Master's faces were matching expressions of disbelief.

A stunned silence fell over the crowd as the greatest titans of Beyblading were left picking up the pieces.

* * *

"Arg! Those fucking little cheats!" screamed Tyson as he slammed his fist into the wall, too angry to even feel the pain.

It was rare for Tyson to swear and Kenny found himself backing away from the bluenette in fear. He glanced over at Kai, but the Phoenix Master just had his head bowed and his fists clenched. It was bad enough when one of them was mad, but both?! He glanced over at Max and Ray for help, but they both had solemn expressions on their faces; Clearly feeling if neither Kai nor Tyson could beat the rogue bladers, there was no chance for victory.

The room fell into a deafening silence.

 **WHAM!**

Everyone's eyes landed on Hilary, who had slammed her hand on the table. "Alright! That's enough moping! All of you have one strike left, and Mr. Dickenson said that there will be a three day break before they go into the Top 10. I've seen you boys work miracles in half that time! So what do you say?" She looked at the boys with fierce, but hopeful eyes.

Max, Ray and Tyson all exchanged glances.

"She's right, since when do we give up?" said Max, putting out his hand.

"Ha! The Bladebreakers never knew the meaning of those words and neither do we." stated the Drigger wielder, putting his hand over Max's and looking to Tyson.

"We will show the world why we became World Champions and kick those creeps to the curb!" Tyson placed his hand over Ray's and looked over at Kai. "And what kind of team would we be without our captain?"

Kai looked up and saw the smiling faces of his friends and his heart gave a flutter. That's right. Winning, losing, it didn't matter, they would stick by each other's side until the bitter end. He placed his hand over Tyson's. "Heh, a pretty lousy one."

"There's our wet-blanket." They exchanged knowing smiles.

"First thing's first," They all looked to the Chief, "you all need new blades. Give me the night to finish  
the proto-types I've been working on." said Kenny, his eyes glancing over at Hilary, amazed that she alone had reignited their spirits.

"Sounds like a plan Chief!" Tyson gave him a thumbs up and handed him his Dragoon. "It's time to show the world what we're made of!"

"Speaking of that, are you sure you're okay buddy?" said Max pointing to the blood that was soaking through Tyson's yellow t-shirt.

"Oh yeah. It's just a scratch Maxie, I'll be ok in no time!"

Upon hearing this, Kai's protective instincts kicked into overdrive. He walked up to Tyson. "Let's see."

The cheeks on the bluenette's face became rosey. "W-Why?"

"Because you have a bad habit of saying your injuries are nothing." The Russian deadpanned.

"Like when?!"

"Like the time you got stabbed."

"Kai, this isn't like that, I swear!" protested the younger.

"Your shirt, off."

"Oh you can't be serious!"

Ray stepped forward. "If there isn't a problem, then it shouldn't be a big deal, right Tyson?"

"Yeah, we've all seen you shirtless before." teased Max.

Tyson looked around, desperate for any reason not to show his friend's his injuries, but his last hope was already walking out the door. Hilary turned around and winked at him. "Good luck Tyson!" she giggled before she and Kenny walked out.

Tyson's left eyebrow twitched in irritation. Was he that predictable?

"Shirt off Kinomiya." Kai repeated.

The Champion sighed. He really should re-consider wearing yellow. Out of options, he took off his red jacket and slowly his hands went to the hem of his t-shirt and he slowly pulled it over his head. Ray's face instantly went pale and Max looked like he was ready to be sick. "What? It can't be that bad right?" He went to look-

"Don't you dare look down!" Kai's stern, slightly panicked voice made him freeze as the Russian walked over to him. Tyson looked up and found himself lost in the depths of soft rubies. "I'm shocked you can't feel anything." He drew the boy into a hug and Tyson felt a wetness on his cheek before a bright light surrounded the both of them. The Phoenix Master pulled away.

Tyson blinked. "I'm confused...I thought you were supposed to conserve Dranzer's power?"

"Tyson, there was a cut on your stomach...your intestine was coming out!" shouted Max.

"...ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!" shouted Tyson in alarm, quickly looking down to see nothing but smooth tanned skin.

Feeling a headache coming on, Kai pinched the bridge of his nose. "You seriously didn't feel it?"

"What? No! Some cheating cocksucker just destroyed Dragoon! Sorry if pain is the last thing on my mind!"

A knock at the door interrupted their discussion, as the boys looked at each other in confusion. No one _ever_ knocked. They usually just burst right in...

"Door's open!" called Max.

When the visitor entered Kai's eyes immediately narrowed while the other three males stared at the newcomer in confusion. "What are you doing here?" asked Kai hotly.

The deputy CEO of Hiwatari Enterprises, Nathan Rivers stepped into the room. "Sorry sir, I didn't mean to intrude, but I've been watching the tournament and it has just been crazy! I had no idea what I was missing out on all these years!" His blue eyes glanced at Tyson's naked upper torso and his breath hitched. _Those defined muscles. Smooth caramel skin. It was something like out of_ _o_ _ne his fantasies._

"You don't know the half of it." muttered Tyson, recalling all the events that had taken place off-camera over the last few days. He walked to his locker and pulled out a fresh yellow t-shirt from his bag and put it on.

"Why are you here Rivers?" Kai repeated, his voice slightly more dangerous.

"I was just hoping for a chance to meet with the World Champion himself, if he isn't too busy?"

All eyes on the room landed on the Japanese male, with Max's expression clearly saying _"He's your crazy fan, deal with it."_ But the Champion's trademark smile worked its way onto his cheeks. "So, you've decided you want to officially meet the World Champion personally?" he said with a cocky tone, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah! You're amazing! How do you get your blade to produce tornadoes like that?"

"Tricks of the trade my friend, tricks of the trade." he wrapped his arm around the smartly-dressed man's shoulders, "But I will happily tell you over lunch!" he slowly led the man out the door and down the hallway.

Max shook his head. "That Tyson, anything to get a free meal, eh?"

"Speaking of lunch, we should get some too, right Kai? Can't train on an empty stomach!" said Ray cheerfully to his former captain.

However the Hiwatari was still staring at the door, suspicion evident in his eyes, as he couldn't help but to wonder why he was getting such a bad feeling.

* * *

"Yeah so, Kai got off the ground, made this EPIC speech and he totally wasted Brooklyn! It was the most amazing match I have ever seen!"

Nathan looked at his companion, impressed. "Really? Even after all those attacks, Kai won?"

"Yeah, sliced Brooklyn's blade in half and everything!"

"Wow, sounds impressive."

"Yeah. Kai is the most amazing beyblader I have ever seen!"

"Yeah, I've seen a few of his matches this tournament, he seems to be in a class of his own."

Nathan was on the end of his rope. He had taken Tyson to a fancy 5-star restaurant and not only was Tyson eating everything in sight, but he had spoken about nothing other than Kai for the last 2 hours! And if it wasn't about Kai, then it was about beyblading! Surely this kid had other interests and abilities? The Kai Hiwatari had hired him to be his personal assistant after all and he didn't hire _just anyone_.

Then again, Tyson Kinomiya wasn't just anyone was he? His title aside, he was kind, intelligent and simply _**gorgeous**_ to look at...Wait...he and Kai weren't together...were they? Now was a good time to ask as any- the bluenette had finally stopped talking... "So tell me Tyson, are you single?"

Tyson choked on his chicken wing before pounding on his chest and took a huge gulp of water. "Woah dude, where did that come from?!"

Nathan shrugged. "It's just a question. I mean with all your adoring fans, one just has to wonder, right?"

The teenager's cheeks went red. "Um...actually I've never dated anyone. I've just been so focused on beyblading and school, I've never really thought about it."

Ok, so Kai and Tyson weren't an item. Perfect. He reached out and grasped the boy's hand, making the pony-tailed teen look at him curiously. "Then maybe you should start thinking about it." he watched as tan cheeks became several shades redder. "Look, I like you. I really like you, would you give me the honour of being your first?"

"...I see." The air grew heavy as blue-bangs covered doe-brown eyes and there was a tense silence as Nathan waited for the other male's answer. "I'm sorry." said the youth gently withdrawing his hand. "You seem to be a cool dude and all, but I'm not interested."

Nathan's heart fell. "Is it my gender?" he asked quietly.

Tyson held up his hands defensively as he gave a nervous laugh. "Nononono! It's nothing like that! The truth is...I kinda fell for someone else a long time ago, and I just haven't worked up the balls to tell them. You understand, right man?"

Nathan looked downcast so his black hair covered his eyes. "Is it Kai?" he asked bitterly.

Brown eyes narrowed. "It's none of your business on who it is. I'm not going to date you."

A cheerful smile suddenly graced the deputy CEO's features. "Of course, you're right. My apologies. Would you like to order dessert?"

At the mention of more food, Tyson brightened. "Oh yeah! Three slices of cake for me please!"

* * *

A $487.73 bill and an hour later, the two males were walking down the street, laughing and talking like old friends, when suddenly Tyson's vision started blurring and his eyes started feeling heavy as the street started spinning. "What's going on?"

"You must be still exhausted from your beybattle earlier. Come with me, I'll take you back to my place to rest."

"No, that's not it." As the teenager fought against the darkness, he recalled the last time he experienced a similar feeling. "You...drugged me."

"Shh. It'll be ok Tyson. _**I'll make you love me.**_ "

"N-no. Please...let me go." He struggled to keep his eyes open as his body collapsed against the nearest structure. "No...Kai..." His consciousness faded.

* * *

 _Kai..._

Crimson eyes snapped open as the Russian sat up straight against the Dojo wall, on high alert. That voice- that had been Tyson's. He had been calling out to him. He glanced at the old grandfather clock across the room. Tyson had left with Rivers over 3 hours ago.

His heart was thudding against his ribcage rapidly and he felt like there was a thousand pounds on his chest.

Tyson was in trouble. He could feel it.

* * *

While editing this chapter, I had to stop and curse myself for being so evil.

 **Advanced Warning** : The next chapter is going to be hard to read, because it was extremely hard just for me to write it.

Please review!


	42. Chapter 42

Disclaimer: I still don't own beyblade, which might be a good thing.

So the lovely Little A Granger introduced me to the song "Ain't Your Mama" by Jennifer Lopez and omg I am blasting it SO LOUD. Fricken addicted! My daughter is sick in bed and omg, she's learned to appreciate how good staying in bed all day really is. I love her. She's nothing but cute.

Also, this week I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me. So yeah...I'm back to being single.

So thank-you to Violet Hiwatari, Tyka's Flower, CorynofHoole, beygirl1234, HibarixTsunaxlover, aquabeauty, and a guest reviewer whom I can't thank personally, so glad that you are all enjoying this story so far! I adore you are and you have no idea how much motivation you give me!

Hope you're all ready for this chapter.

WARNINGS: Fetch your kittens, barf buckets, tissues and for the nail biters...a nail file!

* * *

Nathan admired the slumbering midnight-haired beauty before him. He had parked his car near the restaurant so he didn't have to drag the unconscious teen far. He had cleverly told the hotel staff that his friend had gotten a little drunk and they allowed him to bring up the boy to his room without question. Once inside, he had wasted no time chaining the younger male's legs and arms to the four-poster bed. After lighting the candles he had placed around the room, he ran his fingers over Tyson's smooth face, before leaning down and whispering into his ear, "You're even more beautiful when you are completely at my mercy." He inhaled the teenager's stormy scent and his cock hardened. "But I need you to wake up so you can enjoy this. C'mon Tyson. Wake up."

* * *

Heart in his throat, his lungs burning, his breathing ragged and armed with his Dranzer and a beyblade he slapped together at the last second, Kai raced through the busy streets of Beycity. He had no idea where he was running to, he was just following where his heart was whispering him to go; Putting blind faith into the bond he and Tyson shared.

 _He only prayed that he wouldn't be too late._

* * *

"Why. Won't. You. Wake. UP?!" The kidnapper screamed, shaking Tyson's limp body. He had tried everything. Shaking him. Screaming at him. He had thrown at least four buckets of ice-cold water onto the sleeping male and he hadn't so much as stirred. Panic started to sink in as he wondered if he had accidentally misjudged the bluenette's weight and had over-dosed him on the sleeping medication. He pulled the empty container out of his pocket and re-read the side-effects, sighing in relief that the dosage he gave couldn't possibly kill the teen, he said, "Looks like I'll just have to sit and wait." He sat on the edge of the bed and looked back at his captive when a dark thought struck him and he grinned slyly. "Then again...you won't be able to fight back like this. Maybe you'll wake up in the middle of it and realize _**exactly why**_ you need me in your life."

* * *

The Russian's feet led him to "The Pyramid" a luxury hotel deep in the heart of downtown. This wasn't good. Rooms were booked weeks in advance, which meant he couldn't just barge in there without being thrown out by security. Hoping to find another way in, he walked around, eyeing the building carefully. It wasn't until he went around to the back of the building that he found a fire escape. "Perfect."

* * *

Nathan took his time slowly removing the child's clothes to kiss every inch of sun-kissed skin that was exposed. Tyson truly had the body of an athlete. Lean. Muscular. His eyes greedily drank in the sight of the now nude younger male, as his slender digits traced down Tyson's toned stomach, stopping just before reaching his manhood.

He quickly removed what was remaining of his own clothes and placed his thick, pulsating, lubed cock at the teen's virgin entrance. "Don't worry Tyson. _I'll take good care of you._ " Slowly, he started pushing himself in.

Suddenly, the window shattered and the would-be rapist was barely able to dodge the blade that came straight at his head.

" _ **Get away from him!"**_

Nathan looked up to see the fearsome face of Kai Hiwatari. "T-This isn't what it looks like!" he stuttered, trying desperately to cover himself.

"Oh I seriously doubt that."

Before he could blink, he found himself struggling against a hand that held his body up against the wall, and cut off his airway. He looked at his boss with eyes that silently begged for mercy and he immediately wished he hadn't. Blood-red eyes had narrowed to slits and burned with animalistic hate.

"I should kill you right here and now for being the disgusting stain on humanity that you are!" Growled the Russian.

"I-I was trying t-to make him l-love-" he choked as the powerful fingers became impossibly tighter around his wind-pipe.

"HOW?! BY _**RAPING**_ him?!"

"I-I'm s-sorry..."

When the man's face had finally turned blue, Kai dropped him carelessly onto the carpeted floor and turned away as the kidnapper started coughing, trying desperately to get air back into his lungs. "Dranzer, guard."

Nathan wet his pants when a bird made of flames came out of the spinning top and he cowered in the corner of the room. That's when he noticed Kai sit right next to Tyson on the bed. He was shocked. The malicious eyes he had seen only seconds ago, now suddenly seemed so tender and brimmed with emotion. He looked like an entirely different person with those eyes. "Had you taken the time to get to know Tyson, you would know that he can sleep through nearly anything. I really should kill you here and now and take Tyson and tell him it was all a dream, but he would question everything and I can't have him having distractions before his battle. _He_ can be the one to decide your fate. At least this way, he'll have closure."

The stain on humanity watched as the Russian carefully covered the child's lower body with the red comforter and melt the chains binding him with his bare hands. "W-what are you?" He voice shook as he slunk back further into the safety of his corner.

"A beyblader. Something you would know nothing about." Nathan watched in confusion as the Hiwatari started tickling Tyson's sides and soon the boy's laughter rang out through the room.

"Seriously Kai! Stop it!" The Granger finally opened his eyes and he blinked in confusion. "Where am I?"

"In a hotel room at "The Pyramid". Rivers tried to rape you."

"He WHAT?!" Tyson glared at his molester who was cowarding in the corner and glared. "Why?"

"I-I just wanted you to love me!" the kidnapper said weakly.

Tyson sighed. "I already told you that I'm not interested." He looked down and registered how little he was wearing. "Did you-"

"I stopped him before he did anything." Kai interjected, glaring daggers at the coward.

Tyson looked up at his dual-haired crush with a blush donning his cheeks, as his heart started pounding. Kai had rescued him? "You?"

Kai nodded. "So what do you want to do with him? There's no guarantee that he won't do something like this again."

The bluenette bit his thumb. This was true. Besides it being immoral and the fact he was underage...it was just too carefully planned. Inviting him out to eat, his questions about his feelings...the fact that he wasn't even aware that he had been drugged. Kai was right – Nathan was just too dangerous to bed left wandering the streets. "You need to turn yourself in." He said finally.

Overjoyed that he wasn't being sentenced to death, Nathan said, "Oh I will! I promise I will-"

"And..." the teen interrupted. "You're going to run all the way there...naked."

All joy left Nathan's body as his face paled.

"And to make sure you do, Dranzer will escort you there. Needless to say, you're fired."

Nathan's face turned into one of pure horror. "Can't we talk-"

 **"Get out!"** Tyson shouted and Dranzer advanced. Terrified of the heat that was radiating off the fiery beast, the ex-deputy CEO scrambled for the door, the navy blade hot on his heels. The door slammed behind them, leaving Kai and Tyson alone.

"Are you ok?" Kai asked softly noticing Tyson's form was shaking slightly.

"Y-yeah." The Japanese teen hugged his legs to his chest. "How did you find me?"

"I heard you call out to me, and our bond pulled me here."

Tyson looked at his friend with surprise. "Really? You actually heard that? I don't even have Dragoon with me. How is that possible?"

"I don't know and I don't care. You're safe. That's all that matters."

"Kai?"

"Hn?" The dual-haired saviour suddenly found Tyson's arms around his neck and his face pressed against his chest.

"Thank-you."

Feeling his shirt becoming damp, Kai realized that Tyson was crying. Wrapping his arm around the boy tightly, he returned the hug as Tyson continued to silently sob. "You know it's not too late to kill him." He whispered into the boy's ear.

Tyson laughed and muttered back, "He's not worth it." He pulled away revealing a tear-streaked face, large, watery brown eyes, but...he was wearing the smile of a champion. "Besides, I have a tournament to win."

And there was every single reason the Phoenix Master loved this boy so dearly.

* * *

The Russian kept his back turned as Tyson re-dressed himself, not daring to violate the fragile teen's privacy. Leaving the hotel, he walked closer to the boy than usual, his senses on high-alert in case there was something else that God wanted to throw at them. Without Dranzer he was feeling more than a little vulnerable.

Tyson noticed all of this and he couldn't help but to feel safe. He was with Kai, and he was sure that the enigma would protect him with his life.

The bluenette couldn't be more relieved to walk through the front door of his house and have Takao jump into his arms. After hugging the ever-growing kitten, he put the grey tabby on his shoulder and made his way into the kitchen – he was starving!

As he watched his roommate rummage through his cupboards, Kai finally allowed himself to relax. Tyson was coping in his own way. Kei trotted up to him and jumped onto his lap, and as he stroked the kitten's soft fur, he sighed. He had a new problem. Hiwatari Enterprises needed a new manager. Running a hand through his greasy bangs, he inwardly groaned. He needed a shower. A thought dawned on him. "Hey Tyson! Do you remember who won the match between Hiro and Tala?"

"Um. I'm pretty sure it was Hiro. Why?" the bluenette answered from the kitchen.

"No reason." He pulled out his cellphone and clicked on Tala's number. / _You're out of the tournament right?/_

The answer was instantaneous. _/Yes, why?/_

/Good. Get back to work./

/WHAT?! Why? Didn't you have a replacement in place?/

/He fucked up./

/Arg! _**Stop firing people!**_ _I want a vacation damn it!/_

/He decided to mess with Tyson./

There was a pause. _/...Oh. You mean he_ _ **royally**_ _fucked up. I'll be at your office tomorrow morning. BTW, Bryan is eliminated too./_

Kai raised an eyebrow. / _I thought he had another strike left?/_

For a full 20 seconds, all Kai could see were the dots letting you know that the other person was typing. _/After you guys left, he decided to bitch out the judges for their crappy judgement calls...personally. They decided to eliminate him right then and there./_

/And you couldn't stop him?/

/There was nothing I could do./

/...He threatened you with the couch, didn't he?/

/Shut-up./

Kai grinned. It was obvious who wore the pants in that relationship.

* * *

Later that night, after they had both had showers and changed into their sleepwear and brushed their teeth, they stood outside the doors to their rooms. "G'night Kai." said Tyson sleepily.

"Night." As Kai stepped into his bedroom, he sighed and turned around. "Kinomiya."

Tyson turned. "Yeah?"

Kai's mouth suddenly went dry and his mind went blank as he struggled to get his next sentence out. "Look...I don't want you to have a nightmare or anything...so do you just want to sleep in my bed?" God his cheeks were so hot, he was surprised they didn't melt right off his face.

His heart skipped a beat as Tyson gave him a huge smile. "You just want a teddy bear!"

"You wish!"

"No, seriously dude. You are such a cuddler when you sleep!"

"...Says the guy who uses me as a human pillow."

Tyson's cheeks became scarlet. "I do not! It just gets cold at night!"

"You already steal the sheets!"

The pair continued to bicker until they were under the covers, with Tyson's face buried into Kai's chest and said man's well-toned arms around him protectively.

"...Hey Kai?"

"Hn?"

"Thank-you."

"Go to sleep Kinomiya." The younger was unaware of the smile that was on his rival's face.

* * *

...You people have NO IDEA how much of a pain this was to edit. Broke my heart I tell you! Please leave me a review because we're no where near done yet and I'm gonna need some some motivation to get the next chapter done.


	43. Chapter 43

Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the plot. All characters belong to the handsome and talented Takao Aoki, who made us all care about a show with spinning tops...

Alright, Alright! I know that this chapter is SEVERELY late. Simply put...I've been so busy, my regular life has so jam-packed that I've been saying "fuck sleep" a lot. But I have been writing! Currently been writing the last 3 chapters of Borderline! I'm so excited! Many of you have been asking when Kai and Tyson will get together...it will be before the last chapter.

This week in the life of RPS, my daughter is back at her daddy's, but it looks like my writing time will be severely cut in half as work has been getting more busy, I have more friends and I'm trying to squeeze in work-outs, and I still have to work on driving lessons so I can hopefully get my driver's licence next month. Borderline is my top priority, but my other stories will be taking a backseat, at least until I'm driving. After I have my licence, then I'll be looking for a second job. So I know it's going to be a little crazy, but please just bear with me. :)

Thank-you to Violet Hiwatari, , Tyka's Flower, FlamingIce94, CorynofHoole, aquabeauty, Little A Granger, R. and to the readers for all your amazing support. I laughed at how much you guys were cussing out Nathan, and how mad that some of you were upset that Kai didn't just kill him. I thought about it, but ultimately that would destroy all the progress Kai and Tyson have made. Kai handing the punishment over to Tyson, was a sign of respect and trust. Believe me, Tyson knows the way things could have ended and is immensely proud of Kai.

So looking at my original notes, I realized I let you all off easy last chapter, as it was supposed to end in a cliff hanger...then again with the dark themes in the last chapter, maybe it was just as well I made that mistake. Hope you all enjoyed the little-breather, because we're rolling right back into the action with this chapter! A huge thank-you to my younger brother PieAnimeOtaku, for helping me come up with beyblade names at 1:00 in the morning.

Warnings: None for this chapter...Might make you guys swear a little.

Enjoy!

* * *

The following morning, after some shameless cuddling, both males got up, had breakfast, fed the cats and then walked to the dojo to meet up with Max, Ray, Kenny and Hilary for training.

"Woah. The Chief isn't here yet?" asked Tyson, not seeing their bushy-haired friend. This was not like him, he was usually one of the first people to come to training sessions.

"He must've fallen asleep while working on our blades." Reassured Ray.

"Awww, let the guy sleep." said Max, "We have serious training to do, right Kai?" he asked, smiling at their Captain.

"Hn. Drop and give me a hundred."

It was early afternoon when a knock on the door broke Grandpa Kinomiya from his meditation. He got up and answered it, surprised to see a haggered Mrs. Saien.

"Somethin' I can help you with home girl?" he asked.

"Is Tyson here?"

Nodding, he escorted the woman through the family home into the garden where the boys were practising. At one look at the woman's weary form, everyone stopped what they were doing and Hilary approached her. "What's wrong Mrs. Saien?" she asked gently.

The mother burst into tears. "They took him. They took my Kenny!" she sobbed, handing a letter to Tyson, before wrapping her arms around the elder Kinomiya, sobbing into his chest.

"There, there." said the old man as he comforted the weeping woman. He looked to his grandson. "What does the letter say T?"

"If you want your friend back, then you and your other little friends better meet me at the pier at 3:00pm tomorrow." he crumpled up the note and growled, "Sighed: Boris."

The only thing that could be heard was the broken mother's wails as everyone soaked in the devastating news.

"He's gone too far this time." Stated Max, clenching his fists.

"So, what do we do? It's obviously a trap." reasoned Ray.

"Then we'll be ready. We'll call up the strongest bladers we know and take down Boris and his goons." There was a determined fire that illuminated the Dragon Master's eyes.

Stepped forward, Kai said, "Before we do anything, we need proper blades."

Ray, Max and Tyson glanced at each other nervously. They had all given their blades with their bitbeasts for Kenny to fix...

"Think there's a chance they might still be there?" Max asked Ray.

Hilary stepped forward. "I can't promise that the blades will be there, but I know where Kenny keeps your guys' bitbeasts. Follow me!"

The newly-reformed Bladebreakers followed the girl to Kenny's house and up to Kenny's bedroom. They gasped when they saw that the room was in chaos. There were books ripped, clothing everywhere, drawers emptied...it was obvious someone had been searching for something.

Hilary was careful not to step on anything as she crossed the room to Kenny's computer desk and pulled out one of the drawers, then lifted a secret panel and revealed her companion's bit-chips intact with their bitbeasts.

"Yeah!"

"Way to go Hil'!"

That was when the tip of her finger brushed against something else. She pulled out a folded-up piece of paper and her eyes widened. "We need to go to Kai and Tyson's place."

"What? Why?" Questioned Tyson, but Kai could see the fear in her eyes and turned on his heels.

"Let's go."

When they were all safe inside the Hiwatari-Kinomiya residence, Hilary wordlessly handed the note to Ray. "What does it say?"

Ray was surprised to see that the note was in Chinese, it surprised him further that the note contents were instructions in case the Beyblade Mechanic ever went missing. "According to this, we need to text Emily with the words ' _Need to open the oven_ ' and she HAS to reply back with ' _Grabbed the oven mitts_.'"

"That's a duress code." Stated Kai.

"Do you think he was being threatened?" asked Max with wide eyes.

"We're about to find out." The Russian pulled out his cellphone. "What's Emily's number?"

Max pulled out his phone and checked his contacts. "671-217-5315"

The Captain quickly typed in the number and send the code. The room was eerily quiet until a ' _ping_ ' was heard.

/ _Grabbed the oven mitts. I'll be there in an hour./_

* * *

A little under an hour later, the red-haired beyblader arrived, and when she walked in she saw the somber expressions of the usually positive and energetic Bladebreaker team. Even Max, who was infamous for staying upbeat in any situation looked like a kicked puppy. This was the first time she really realized how much Kenny meant to these boys.

Surprisingly, Kai was the first one to speak. "Tell us everything you know."

She sighed. This wasn't going to be for any of them to hear. She sat on the couch as all eyes landed on her, waiting for an answer. "It was the first day of the tournament, and when the judges made those crappy judgement calls, Kenny thought something was up. So he decided to dig deeper. He pulled up backgrounds on all the BBA judges and discovered they all had ties to Gideon."

"Well that certainly explains a lot." said Ray, glancing at Kai. "You knew didn't you?"

"I had my suspicions."

Tyson turned back to Emily. "Go on."

"Anyways, there was a day when he was using the washroom and he heard Dr. K's voice and Gideon's. They were arguing about how they needed to upgrade the blades for their players and how they were already pushing the limits of their technology. It was then Gideon said "If a 16-year old can produce amazing beyblades from scratch, then Dr. K and her scientists weren't trying hard enough."

Kenny realized then that he may become a target, but also realized one major weakness in Gideon's team. So he messaged me that night and told me what was going on and we began working on a secret weapon." She unzipped her white bag and pulled out 4 blades in glass cases and handed each one to their new respective owners. "Guys meet the Heaven Series! Dragoon Heart, Draciel Hailshot, Drigger Howling Claw and Dranzer Hellfire. Kenny and I designed each one from scratch, with the new core he designed. Before I came here, I tested each one myself. They put the MS blades to shame. They're ready to spin."

Each of the boys looked at their new blades in awe. They appeared to be about the same size and weight as the Metal Series blades, but they looked fiercer...more dangerous.

"Why didn't Kenny tell us about any of this?" Demanded Hilary with tears in her brown eyes. "We could have helped!"

"He didn't want any of you to worry, in case he was just being paranoid."

"Well, I for one won't just sit here and do nothing." said Tyson, rising to his feet. "We\re going to get Kenny back, so I say we get reinforcements and train till we've mastered these babies. Then we'll go in there and take Boris and his ugly goons down."

The other got up out of their seats as well. "Sounds like a plan, Ty." said Max.

Ray glance down at the blade that rested in his hands. "What can you tell us about these new cores Emily?"

"Nothing. Only Kenny knew what they were capable of."

"Well then," Kai pulled out his launcher and loaded his new blade, "there's only one way to find out." Having a feeling that they were similar to the MS cores, he concentrated on his emotions, remembering why he called himself a beyblader. He recalled the battle he had with Tyson and that place amongst the stars and he pulled the ripcord. "Let it rip!"

 **BOOM**

Dranzer shot out like a bullet and hit the earth with a mighty crash. When the dust had settled, Dranzer was spinning in place in the middle of the 10ft long crater. His entire body was shaking from the recoil. Such power! He had never felt anything close to this!

The other's mouths hung open in amazement.

"I gotta give it a try now!" exclaimed Tyson, readying his launcher. "Let it rip!"

The recoil nearly blew him off his feet as Dragoon blasted off the launcher.

 **BOOM**

The white blade had created a similar crater next to Kai's, Dragoon was wobbling slightly before straightening out. "Woah! This power rush is amazing! A little bit of practice and we'll be old pros at this!"

Hilary glanced at the clock, it was 2:48pm. "Alright guys, we have roughly 12 hours before we have to meet with Boris."

"Then we better get to work." The World Champion whipped out his cellphone from his back pocket and dialled a number, "Hey Hiro, could you and Brooklyn come over here? It's an emergency."

Kai followed suit and disappeared into the kitchen and called his vice-president. The phone rang twice before the Wolborg wielder answered."Tala, I need you and the boys over here. Boris made his move."

"What about the company?"

"Fuck the company. Put the most competent person in charge and get your ass over here." He heard an unmistakable moan. _**"**_ _ **Are you seriously fucking on my desk?**_ _ **"**_

"...no?"

" **FOR FUCK SAKES TALA!"**

"It was Bryan's – Ah – fault." the red-head moaned into the phone.

The CEO pinched the bridge of his nose. "Whatever. Asses here in 20 minutes or I'll give your job to Lelouch and demote you to janitor!" He slammed his thumb down on the 'End Call' button in anger. "Fucking Russians."

* * *

Around 20 minutes later, Rick, Hiro, Brooklyn, Ian, Spencer, Tala and Bryan were all gathered in t living room, the latter duo's hair and clothes were in a disarray. Tyson addressed the new team.

"Alright guys, Boris has taken Kenny hostage." There were a few gasps. "He has asked us to meet him at the pier at 3:00 tomorrow and there is a good chance that it will be a trap. But Kenny is my friend and he has stuck by me from the very beginning, even when no one else has." Ray and Max shifted their feet uncomfortably, recalling how they had left their team to pursue their own dreams, while Kai just stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest as Tyson continued. "He has been a dedicated beyblader and teammate. One way or another, we're going to get him back."

"Yeah, but why would they bother to him?" asked Brooklyn, yawning.

"Isn't it obvious?" replied Hiro. "Kenny is the best Beyblade Mechanic around. Besides being an easy target since he doesn't have a bitbeast, he has the potential to help them create a whole new kind of beyblade technology. The real question is why we didn't see this coming?"

Kai glared. Of course Hiro's first move would be to guilt trip everyone, making them feel like it's their duty to go on this mission. "None of that matters now. Our only question should be what to do if it is a trap?"

Max spoke up. "Well Boris' obvious target is our bitbeasts. He and Gideon have resorted to cheap tricks in the past to get their hands on them, going as far as isolating us from each other, so we can't help each other out." He recalled the day where he had battled Cyber-Draciel. Gideon had not only made it possible for Cyber-Draciel to keep healing itself, but he locked the rest of the team in a indestructible glass cage, so that none of them could interfere with the battle. "Maybe we should all pick a partner, in case they tried to split us up or something."

Hiro folded his muscular arms over his chest. "That's actually not a bad idea. How do we decide who goes with who?"

"Kenny usually decided that..." said Max sadly.

"Alright, how's this then?" asked Hilary. "Spencer and Ian go together, Max, Rick and Ray are a group, then Bryan and Tala, Brooklyn should go with Hiro and lastly Kai and Tyson."

The elder Kinomiya frowned, not liking that his brother would be so close to Kai. "What's the logic behind that?"

"Simple. Out of everyone, you and Brooklyn work together the best, Max has been teammates with both Rick and Ray so he know how to work with both of them, Bryan and Tala won't listen and just go together anyways, Ian and Spencer know each other's moves off by heart now, since they have been blading together for so long, and Kai and Tyson are the best as a tag team."

As Hiro's eyebrow twitched in irritation, Kai had to hold back a snicker. Hilary had really put the stubborn jerk-wad in his place.

"Fine then."

* * *

The beybladers trained throughout the night, and into the early morning, but Tyson remained apprehensive. Everything just felt like calm before the storm. Again and again he launched his blade, trying to master the new core. Kai took notice of Tyson's uneasiness, and trained right beside him as a silent support until Grandpa forced them all to go to sleep at 6:30 in the morning.

"You gotta keep the mind sharp dawgs. Fancy moves and fancy spinning tops mean nothing without brains."

"Pffft, explain how Tyson keeps beating us then." scoffed Bryan.

Not another word was spoken after Ryu Kinomiya smacked the silver-haired Russian hard enough to render him unconscious for 20 minutes. When the Falborg-wielder came to, everyone was already in their sleeping bags, sound asleep. Not wanting to feel the old man's wrath for a second time, he meekly crept into the dojo and crawled in beside Tala.

When they all were well-rested, Kai handed everyone a filtered mask. "Gideon likes using sleeping gas. When we get in, put them on and don't take them off for anything." He went to hand one to Hiro, but the man shook his head and pointed to the metal mask that was covering his nose and mouth.

"Has one already equipped."

The dual-haired blader raised an eyebrow. "Impressive."

* * *

The eleven bladers reached the pier at exactly 3:00 pm, surprised that it was empty. No boat. No one to 'greet' them.

"Keep your guard up." Kai ordered, using his sharp eyes to look around the area, expecting someone to jump out and attack. Subconsciously, he stepped closer to Tyson.

"Looking for me boys?"

Everyone looked up and their mouths fell open.

"Well, I guess we know what Gideon has been working on all these years." said Tyson, clenching his fists.

"Something tells me everything just got a whole lot more complicated." commented Bryan.

It was a massive star ship; Something like the boys thought only existed in movies. It was triangular in shape and had to be nearly a thousand feet long. This was a whole new game now.

The door opened.

The teens just stood there, staring at it like it was poison.

"Come on in gentlemen. Don't you want to save you're friend?" came Boris' sickly sweet voice.

"Looks like we don't have much of a choice." said Tyson. He looked over his shoulder. "If anyone wants to back out, now would be the time."

Ray put a hand on his shoulder. "None of us are backing out. We all want to save Kenny just as much as you do."

"Well, I'm just here to punch Boris in the face to be honest." said Bryan.

Tyson smiled. He could understand why Kai enjoyed hanging around the crazy Russian's so much. "Alright guys, this is the fight that we've been waiting for! You're gonna wish you were never born, Boris!"

With one last reassuring glance at each other, the beybladers stepped into the heart of darkness.

* * *

Ok, I'll update as soon as I finish typing the next chapter...I promise! Feedback would be awesome :)


	44. Chapter 44

Disclaimer: I do not own beyblade or a bra that fits properly.

Hello everyone! After I'm done typing this chapter, I will be working on THE VERY LAST chapter of Borderline...you have no idea how happy I am to move on and finish some of my other stories. It's so exciting because this is the first story over 5 chapters I have ever finished! :)

So thank-you to Angel Devastation (missed you girl, glad to have you back), Demons of the arch angel, Tyka's Flower, R. (sorry that I missed you in the last chapter, I typed your name, then spell check edited you out :'( ) FlamingIce94, Violet Hiwatari and Senseless for all the amazing reviews. I can feel your hate for Boris...I really can.

Warnings: Lots of action, a few upsetting scenes. Kittens, tissues and possibly a nail file for all you nail biters might be necessary.

I would say enjoy...but I think you rather yell at me instead.

* * *

They all attempted to shield their eyes as a bright light pierced their irises, as they heard Boris' evil voice cackling all around them. "Hahahahahaha, welcome to Level 1, boys!"

Slowly the lights dimmed, and when their eyes finally adjusted, they found themselves surrounded by an army of spider-like robots. As the machines advanced, the team backed up until they could feel each other's solid, comforting warmth pressed up against their backs.

"Well this seems familiar." said Ray as he reached for his launcher.

"Yeah. Gideon did this to us in the battle tower." confirmed Max as he readied his blade.

Tyson gritted his teeth, "Same dirty tricks. They're going to try and force us to wear down our blades."

"So what should we do?" asked Rick, as the circle of robots advanced closer.

"Just leave this to us." said Ian.

"What?!" said Max, as all eyes fell on Ian and Spencer. "You can't do that!"

"There's too many!" agreed Ray, urging the Russian's to change their minds.

"We weren't called the Demolition Boys for nothing." scoffed Ian as he readied his launcher.

"Yeah, you guys just go on ahead." said Spencer as he inserted his ripcord, "Go find that little guy."

Tyson was speechless. He never would have believed in a million years that Spencer and Ian would be the first to sacrifice themselves for their sakes.

"Be careful." warned Hiro. "You might have 30 seconds of rest between each attack wave."

"Yeah, yeah. Shut-up and get moving." ordered Ian.

"Thanks guys. We owe you one!" said Tyson.

" **GO!** " demanded Spencer.

The others nodded and Ray and Max launched their blades at the drones.

" **Howling Claw!** "

" **Guardian Tsunami**!"

Drigger's attack sliced a pathway through the army, and Draciel's attack put up two massive walls of water to keep the pathway clear, holding off the robots.

Bryan whistled. "Damn Maxie, never knew you were Moses." A chuckle escaped Rick's lips, as Kai glared at the Falborg-wielder. "What?"

"You actually paid attention in that bible studies class, but can't make your blade put up a decent defense?"

The silver-haired blader shrugged his shoulders. "Bible studies wasn't _that bad_."

Tyson sweat-dropped. "Neither of you have any plans on going to Heaven, do you?"

"Hey guys!" They all looked over to Max, who was clearly straining to keep the walls of water standing. "This isn't as easy as it looks!"

Tyson rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Oops. Sorry Max!" They all rushed through the gap and quickly escaped through the door on the other side of the room, leaving Ian and Spencer alone. They were standing back-to-back and they quickly put on the gas masks that Kai had given them earlier.

"How honourable of you boys to sacrifice yourselves. Honourable, but foolish." Boris stepped out from the shadows, his red goggles gleaming dangerously in the light. "But I'll show you some mercy, after all, the two of you were some of my top students. Come join me, and help crush Tyson and his friends. Just name your price."

Ian chuckled. "No thanks Boris. We're done being you're pawns. **Let it rip!** " He and Spencer released their blades and they started smashing through the enemy's defenses.

* * *

Meanwhile, the others were running through the narrow, dark, hallways of the ship with Tyson leading the group. Kai's hand suddenly shot out and pulled back the youth. "Hey, what gives?!" shouted the bluenette.

"You almost stepped on a trigger wire!" Sure enough, just one step away, was a thin, black wire that was nearly invisible to the naked eye.

"Woah. Nice save Kai." Tyson carefully stepped over the wire, but the ground under his foot shifted. "...Crap."

Lasers shot at them from all directions. The bladers broke into a full sprint, hoping to outrun the ship's targeting system. Halfway down the hallway, Max tripped on his shoelace and fell to the floor.

"Max!" cried Tyson, turning around, but Rick had already leaped into action. The large American ran back down the hallway, quickly scooping the small blonde male off the floor and threw the light body over his muscular shoulder before quickly catching up with the others.

When they finally reached the end of the hallway and safe behind a steel wall, Rick set Max down on his feet and asked, "Are you okay?"

The blue-eyed boy smiled. "Yeah, thanks to you!"

Tyson looked at Kai. "...Maybe this time you should go first."

"Hn. You think?" Carefully he peeked behind the wall and saw a hallway loaded with motion-sensing launchers. _Damn..._ "The next hallway is riddled with launchers that will launch anything from low-grade beyblades, to beyblades that are quite literally, on fire. We need to take them all out."

"Why don't you just use your heat vision?" asked Tala.

"Every time I use my powers, it drains Dranzer's power. It's a last resort." explained the dual-haired blader.

Hiro crossed his arms over his chest. "So what do we do?"

Brooklyn stepped forward. "Relax guys, I got this one." Everyone watched the ginger as he casually stepped out from behind the protective wall, Hiro tensing when all launchers shifted themselves so they were aimed directly at his boyfriend. Brooklyn's eyes glowed green for a fraction of a second and all the launchers went limp.

"Woah! What did you do?!" questioned Max in awe.

"I used the extensive powers of my mind to turn off the sensors." explained Brooklyn nonchalantly as he yawned lazily.

Tyson looked at Kai. "New plan: _He_ goes first."

* * *

With Brooklyn using his powers, the next hallways were much easier to get through than the first. They soon found themselves at a door, which Brooklyn opened. Jaws dropped as they saw multiple jagged, twisted hallways before them.

"What's this Boris? Ran out of lab rats?" asked Kai coolly.

"Hehehehehe. Welcome to Level 3 boys!" cackled the maniac.

"I'm getting really tired of running around here for your sick entertainment. Just give us our friend back!" shouted Tyson.

"Upon the _slim_ chance that you do make it to the end, we will negotiate terms. Good luck gentlemen."

Ray glanced at Kai. "So what should we do? It might take us hours or eve _days_ to get through this maze."

"There's another way." said the Russian as he looked at Tyson and glance up at the ceiling.

Tyson immediately got the hint. "I'm on it!" Tapping into Dragoon's powers of flight, his feet lifted off the ground and he started gliding up the 25ft wall. However, about halfway up, he hit a barrier of electricity, screaming out in pain as thousands of volts of electric current passed through his lean body. It felt like thick, hot water was rippling under his skin. His blood vessels felt like they were about to burst and he could feel his heart thud at a wicked pace against his ribcage. His stomach did a somersault as he felt himself fall...

A large pair of strong arms encircled him and prevented him from hitting the ground.

 _"Tyson!"_

It felt like he had been frozen from the inside out, every breath he took was clear and cool.

 **"Tyson!"**

He slowly opened his eyes, concerned ruby stared back at him. "Are you okay?"

" _Need...a...minute..."_ Every word he spoke was slurred.

Kai sighed with relief. Tyson was at least conscious and talking, meaning his heart hadn't stopped beating. But despite him being electrocuted, they couldn't afford to waste any more time. Without another word, he repositioned Tyson so he was carrying him on his back. "Our best course of action now is to split up."

Ray nodded. "Max, Rick and I will go right."

"We'll take the left hallway then." said Hiro. "You, Tala and Bryan take the centre hallway. Leave a mark at every turn you make so we can avoid going around in circles and easily find each other, if necessary. If one of us finds an exit, release your bitbeast. Any questions?" he asked, his brown eyes analyzing the group for anyone who seemed confused.

"Just one question: What do we mark the walls with?" asked Bryan.

" _There's...markers...in my...pants pocket."_ panted Tyson, still feeling the effects of being electrocuted. Max reached into said pocket and pulled out a green, orange and blue marker.

"Alright, we'll take green, Kai's team is blue and Hiro's team is orange." said the blonde as he handed each team their assigned colours before they wished each other luck and went in their separate ways.

* * *

Once the others were out of earshot, Brooklyn asked his boyfriend, "I'm surprised that you didn't volunteer to go with Tyson and the Sourpuss."

"Kai and I don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. He would be questioning every move I made and we wouldn't get anywhere." the Kinomiya explained.

"I see. So you don't like him because he questions you." Brooklyn said, smirking.

Hiro crossed his arms. "It's not that. He's just untrustworthy. His grandfather was Boris' employer. He's shown on multiple occasions that the only thing he cares about his himself and his own interests."

"Well, if that's the way you feel." said Brooklyn lazily, putting his hands in the pockets of his white trench coat.

"You disagree?"

"All I know is, when I was battling Kai back in the BEGA tournament, he was battling for more than just himself out there. When Zeus's attack hit him, for a split second, I could feel Tyson's presence on the battlefield as well."

"What are you saying?"

"Oh boy, you know you can be so dense sometimes, right? What I'm saying is that, regardless if you trust Kai or not, he and Tyson are bonded. And judging from Kai's actions the last few months, I don't think he's going anywhere."

"Hmph. All Kai's self interests are is battling Tyson and getting into his pants. Once he does that, watch him disappear."

Brooklyn sighed. Man, his boyfriend was in such denial.

"Hold up. Looks like we have company."

Brooklyn looked up just in time to watch two figures jump down from the walls, blocking their path.

"This is the end of the line for you gentlemen."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the maze, Ray, Max and Rick were keeping themselves occupied with a game.

"Dad!"

"Dickenson!"

"Defense Ring!"

They had started shouting out words that started with the letter "D" to keep track of each other as they explored the various passage ways and corridors of the maze until...

"Dead End!"

"Dead End!"

"Ditto!"

They all regrouped and Max placed a large, green "X" over the entrance of each of the passage ways before continuing down the corridor that they originally started on.

 **ROAR!**

Stopping dead in their tracks, the trio looked up to see Metal Drigger battling some sort of lion bitbeast. "Should we go help them?" asked Max.

"No, but we should start heading that way anyway. The closer we get to the end of the maze-"

"-The tighter security will be." finished Ray. "Let's go."

The trio quickly changed directions, going down a hallway towards the beybattle, when suddenly the floor gave way underneath them, and the three of them were swallowed by a pit of darkness.

* * *

I think that's a good place to leave off for now. Yes, it's short, I could easily type in another 5 pages (my original notes tell me to), but I'm going to break this up.

Basically this whole "arc" is 2 shittily-written chapters. I think it does us all some good if I break them all into smaller bits and add a shitton of detail instead. I'll aim for 2,000 words a chapter :) Please leave a review!


	45. Chapter 45

Disclaimer: It's probably a very good thing I don't own beyblade.

 **PLEASE READ:**

 **Hello everyone...it's been a sad week in the world. So many senseless deaths. I would like to take the time to remind people that the only answer to hate is LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. It doesn't matter what a person's race, gender, religion, social status or wealth is...we are all human. We should all think of our neighbour, our teacher, the man down the street, the homeless woman as our cousins. No one is a lesser citizen of the Planet Earth and no one should have to live in fear.** **I send my prayers out to all of those who are suffering in the world, and hope and contribute to a better tomorrow.**

Stay Strong Everyone.

Remember, even in the darkest of times, there is light. Breathe.

Thank-you to Violet Hiwatari, Senseless, Demons of the arch angel, Tyka's Flower, CorynofHoole, Beygirl1234, Angel Devastation and R. for all your reviews. And thank-you to all my readers for reading week after week. I am pleased to announce that the rough draft of Borderline is completely finished and we're on the last 20 chapters.

20 heartbreaking chapters...

 **WARNING:** Unfortunately this chapter is among the darkest chapters I have ever written. Be prepared. Once again, I've heavily edited to add as much detail as I can stomach. Kittens, baby blankets and stuffed toys are recommended.

* * *

Tala, Bryan and Kai were walking together through the confusing and seemingly endless labyrinth. Tala at the front, Bryan at the rear; Eyes peeled for any hint of danger with both of their beyblades ready to launch at a second's notice, while Kai carried Tyson on his back in between the pair. After about 40 minutes of walking through the twisty maze, Tyson unwrapped his legs from Kai's back and said "I think I'm alright now."

"You sure?" Asked the former Captain as he knelt down and set Tyson on the steel floor, immediately missing the contact. "Any numbness or burning?"

"Nah. I heal fast." said Tyson dismissively, strolling past the dual-haired blader.

But knowing Tyson, Kai wasn't so convince. "Kinomiya, freeze."

Tyson immediately stopped walking and turned back to the older teen, placing his hands on his hips.  
"Now what? I told you, I'm fine!"

Tyson's insistence didn't quell the Phoenix Master's fears. "Close your eyes." His tone was gentle, but firm.

"Wha? Why?" questioned the blue-haired blader.

"Stop arguing and just do it!" he yelled, his tone matching the sharpness of a freshly-sharpened katana blade.

"Fine!...Jeez." muttered Tyson as he finally obeyed.

Tala watched in horror as Kai took his fist and plowed the teenager right in the stomach. His horror turned into surprise however, when the bluenette didn't so much as flinch.

"Did you feel that?" Kai asked.

"Um...yes?" answered Tyson as he opened to his brown eyes.

"Oh really?" The Russian's fist slammed into his rival again, and Tyson's eyes widened.

"Ok, ok. So I'm a little numb, Sherlock Holmes, but it's no big deal. I can still blade."

It was one of those moments where Kai was torn from strangling the infuriating brat or kissing the life out of him. He chose to do neither as the object responsible for his torrent of emotions started walking in front of him, settling to just look at his perfect ass instead...

They continued to walk through the winding hallways and puzzling passageways, until they heard familiar screams.

"That sounded like Max and them!" said Tyson, thoughts of what the purple-haired psychopaths could do to them raced through his mind and he ran towards where he heard their voices, only to be stopped by Tala. "Yo dude, move! I gotta find out if they're okay!"

"Hiro and Brooklyn are in that direction and they'll most likely get there before us." He reasoned.  
A metallic sound made them all freeze and squint down the dark hallway, looking for the source of the sound, only to see an army of robotic spiders coming right for them! "Looks like we have bigger problems to worry about."

"Much bigger problems!"

The Wolf Master looked to his lover, to see more robots coming up behind them.  
They had nowhere to run.  
Sharing a look, Tala and Bryan each took their battle stances.

"Kai! You and Tyson make a break for it!" Tala ordered.

Tyson stiffened and ruby eyes narrowed. "You sure?"

"Positive. Find the exit and get Kenny." Tala ordered.

"Fine."

"No way!" Everyone looked at Tyson as the army closed in. "We can't just leave you!"

"You're not the one calling the shots here, kid." Bryan chuckled.

 **"3...2...1! LET IT RIP!"**

The blades shot out of the launchers simultaneously and left paths of destruction in their wake. Kai grabbed Tyson by the hand, forcing the stubborn teen to follow him, and rushed forward through the path of broken spider-bots before the machines could regroup, leaving the Russian Lovers.

The Falborg and Wolborg wielders were now back-to-back. "When we get out of here, you're going to take a vacation just so I can pound your ass on every surface of the apartment."

"Hn, for that to happen, we would need to kidnap Tyson and hold him hostage until Kai agreed to our demands."

"...That could be arranged..."

Tala smirked. "You're insatiable."

Bryan shrugged. "Can't help it. You have the sexiest "O" face."

Tala's cheeks burned until they matched the shade of his hair. "Then let's hurry up and finish this. Wolborg!"

"Falborg!"

 **"FINAL ATTACK!"**

* * *

Meanwhile, the rivals raced through the maze, blasting through all the bots that they could with their blades. It wasn't long before Tyson realized that every time they encountered a metal enemy, Kai would change their direction and run _towards_ them. After the 8th time he asked, "Shouldn't we be running _away_ from them?"

"They must be coming from somewhere, my bet is if we follow them we'll find the exit."

"That's pretty smart." Sienna eyes widened as they finally saw an opening with roughly two hundred spider-bots guarding it. The World Champion grinned. "Ready Kai?" They aimed their launchers and their senses heightened as they felt their bond connecting and growing stronger, to the point where they could telepathically send and share their energy.

 **"LET IT RIP!"**

"DRANZER!"

"DRAGOON!"

 **"** **HELLFIRE TORNADO!"** The duo shouted as their spirit guardians combined their powers and created a powerful, fierce, fiery tornado and charged right for the army. Bots were blown and ripped apart, the fire reducing them to nothing more than indistinguishable, twisted hunks of metal and ash. Bolts and screws were cascading down as the twister dissipated.

Both bladers were breathing heavily, using so much energy at once was draining, but they didn't dare to stop as they ran for the now-clear exit. Opening up the door, they found themselves in a cylindrical elevator.

Observing that there was only two floors to choose from, one of which they were already on, Tyson said, "Looks like there's nowhere to go but up."

"Good. Catch your breath Kinomiya, because we have no idea what welcoming party Boris and Gideon have waiting for us."

"Probably just a bunch of tin-cans." The bluenette chuckled, but he took the Russian's advice and took a moment to gather his wits. Slowly he stood up straight.

"You ready?"

"Yeah. Let's do this."

Kai pressed the "2" button and the elevator slowly ascended to the upper level. When the doors opened, both boys jumped out, their launchers loaded.

"Na-uh boys. That wouldn't be a very good idea." Tsked Boris, wagging a slender, boney finger at them. Behind him, they could see Gideon sitting on the red-velvet seat of a throne, made out of gold, adorned with rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other precious stones. Beside him, ankle tied to a thick chain, was a terrified-looking Kenny, who was clenching his laptop protectively to his chest. Tyson let out an internal sigh of relief when the brunette appeared to be unharmed.

"Let our friend go before this gets ugly!" demanded the Blading Champion.

"Now, why on Earth would we do that when we have so much to discuss?" On the other side of Gideon, a large television screen rose up from the floor.

A pit formed in Kai and Tyson's stomachs as they watched Ray, Max and Rick trapped in a small room, with the walls closing in on them.

"Now dropped your blades, before they get crushed." Gideon ordered darkly.

It dawned on Kai then that they had stupidly fallen into their nemesis' trap -They had unwittingly given them the leverage they had desperately needed. With a final glance at Tyson's sombre brown eyes, they both did they unthinkable...

They relinquished their blades.

The echo of the blades hitting the cold, steel floor resounded throughout the room.

Boris chuckled. "I knew you would see things our way, gentlemen." Carefully he picked up the blades and placed them in a glass box. As soon as the lid closed shut, Kai immediately felt all warmth leave his body, as his connection with Dranzer was cut-off, and he fearfully realized that the box must be made with the same energy-absorbent glass that they had created for the stadium, sealing both Dranzer and Dragoon's powers within.

 _This was so not good._

"We will hang on to these for safe-keeping." Boris placed the box on the pedestal that was in the centre of the room, before turning around and facing Kai once more. "Oh! Before I forget, there's one more surprise for you, Young Kai." He pulled out the walkie-talkie that was strapped to his belt and pressed the button on the side. "Bring her in."

Ruby eyes widened as he watched a woman with waist-length navy-blue hair, wearing a long, silky, plum-coloured dress be escorted into the room. Her features were pale, but there was no mistaking those striking eyes that were so much like his. Emotion filled his voice as he whispered, "Mother."

"How could you?!" This outburst came from Tyson, as he recognized the man who was restraining the woman. The man was non-other than Dimitri Donetov, the doctor from the abbey who had been aiding his friend for all these years...and Boris' half-brother. "KAI TRUSTED YOU! How could you stoop so low and work for **Boris**?!"

"I'm afraid I couldn't say no to the price he offered me." said the Doctor, dismissively, holding back the struggling woman who was desperately trying to get to her son.

At that, Tyson narrowed his eyes dangerously. "So it all comes down to money, does it?"

While Tyson was yelling at the traitor, Kai's gaze was still transfixed on his mother. She hardly aged since the last time he had seen her. It was then he registered her protruding belly, and he fixed his fiery, LIVID gaze upon Boris, who stood there with his arms crossed like it was all some humorous reality show, and his rage exploded. **"HOW DARE YOU?!"**

Boris smirked. "Oh, so you've noticed? Yes Young Kai. Soon you will have a little brother or sister and I will raise it to be the most powerful beyblader in existence, and they will do what you should've done and become the Conqueror of Bitbeasts! And you, Young Kai, I will lock you back in the abbey and use to carry out my experiments."

Disgusted by the way Boris was eyeing Kai, disgusted by the fact the freak managed to impregnate Kai's mother, and disgusted by the way Dimitri could switch sides so easy...Tyson had had enough. "I won't let that happen! Arg!" Fist engaged, he charged at Boris.

The madman frowned. "You however, we do not need."

Everything happened in slow motion. Boris pulled out a gun and aimed it at Tyson. Kai moved to get in the way. There was a flash as the trigger was pulled and the sound echoed throughout the room.

Tyson's body hit the ground.

 **"** **TYSON!"** Came Kai's cry of anguish as he watched the blood gush from the hole in Tyson's chest, rapidly dying his yellow shirt crimson. He stepped towards him.

"Take another step and the next bullet is going through his head." Warned Boris as he walked over the injured boy, leaning down over him, enjoying the sight of the colour rapidly fade from his tanned face as the teen struggled to breathe. "So tell me Tyson, what do you say to joining me? I'll even let Kai heal your injuries." Brown eyes widened. "Oh yes, I figured out how you were able to survive my torture and my bladers. I'll even give you the luxury of shinning my shoes."

"F-Fuck you." gasped Tyson, spitting blood into the psychopath's decrepit face.

The former-priest wiped off the blood in disgust. "So be it." He took the gun and aimed it at the window, shattering it, then kicked Tyson's body off the ship.

 **"BASTARD!"** Boris spun around, only to be knocked to the floor by the force of Kai Hiwatari's fist colliding with his cheek. Spitting out blood, he looked up to see Kai staring out the window, down at Tyson's falling form with a determined look in his eye. He laughed. "Really? You would throw your life away? You would throw away _everything_?" He was silenced by the burning, hateful gaze the dual-haired teen pinned him down with.

"This is better than going back to the abbey." A smirk graced his lips. "I won't let you have me."

He jumped.

* * *

Oh good lord, this thing was evil to edit! EVIL! T_T

Fun fact: Kai's last line was changed from:  
"He _is_ everything."  
To what is there now...last minute editing.

My heart hurts so much.  
Their friends are in peril, they have no bitbeasts, Boris shot Tyson and sent him to his doom and Kai has decided to die with him.  
This is the mother of all cliffhangers!  
Please review?


	46. Chapter 46

Disclaimer: Nope...I don't own shit.

Thank-you to Violet Hiwatari, Senseless, beygirl1234, Tyka's Flower, Demons of the arch angel, CorynofHoole, and my lovely ex-husband Nawmay for reviewing.

 **WARNINGS: Character Death.**

* * *

 _ **"BASTARD!"**_ _Boris spun around, only to be knocked to the floor by the force of Kai Hiwatari's fist colliding with his cheek. Spitting out blood, he looked up to see Kai staring out the window, down at Tyson's falling form with a determined look in his eye. He laughed. "Really? You would throw your life away? You would throw away everything?" He was silenced by the burning, hateful gaze the dual-haired teen pinned him down with._

"

 _This is better than going back to the abbey._ _"_ _A smirk graced his lips. "I won't let you have me."_

He jumped.

 **"** **KAI!** " Distraught at seeing her only son jump to his death, Anya Hiwatari elbowed the man who was restraining her hard in the ribs, forcing him to let her go and she ran to the one last thing that could save her son. Unfortunately Boris was faster and blocked her path.

"Forget about him darling. Now there is no one standing in our way."

"Fuck you!" she ducked as he tried to grab her, rushing past him and grabbing the glass box which contained the powerful bitbeasts that were struggling for freedom.

 **Click.**

She froze, feeling the cold steel pressed to her temple.

"I suggest you hand that over to me." The menacing voice whispered in her ear.

 **BANG**

Boris watched as Gideon's body dropped to the floor and looked with fearful eyes at the person who had pulled the trigger, and found himself staring into the bottom of a barrel. "Dimitri...can't we talk about this?" he asked, stepping back, with his hands raised to his chest.

"No. You're going to give Anya the key and let her unlock that box if you have any hope of getting out of here alive." Dimitri's voice was strong, his blue-eyes begging. He was prepared to fire.

Several intense seconds passed between the brothers as they stared each other down.

"Very well." Boris relented, moving to pull out the silver key from his pants pocket, but instead he pulled out a gun, grabbing Anya and holding the pistol to her head. At Dimitri's horrified expression, he laughed. "Did you really expect me to play fair?! Drop your weapon!"

"Don't do it Dimitri!" The hostage pleaded. "Shoot him and save Kai!"

"Really Boris? Is she really that expendable? I thought you needed her to complete your conquest?"

For an instant Boris' face paled as he realize that the doctor was right. He then chuckled darkly. "You're right, how foolish of me." He repositioned the gun so it rested on Anya's bulging belly. "The baby however is a different story. Have fun trying to clean this mess up."

 **BANG!**

A whirlwind of feathers exploded into the air as Boris felt his legs get kicked out from beneath him, his gun skittering across the floor. Flabbergasted, he looked up at the woman who he had held captive for the last decade, who now towered over him, grinning menacingly. "W-What?"

"We knew that eventually you would try something this repulsive. There is no baby. There never was." She declared, extending her hand. "Now, the key."

With a gun pointed at his head, and out of options, the villain begrudgingly handed over the key.

Anya snatched it and quickly unlocked the glass box and the spirit of the Red Phoenix burst out and flew out the shattered window. "Hopefully she makes it to them in time."

* * *

The wind whipped against his ivory skin, chilling his body as he dived through the sky. As each precious second ticked by, thanks to the heavy weights in his scarf, he was rapidly approaching Tyson's unconscious body. Making slight adjustments to his own body to keep it on course with Tyson's, he drifted in the wind.

After what seemed like an eternity, his strong arms encircled his beloved, blood seeping threw his shirt. As the world flew by around them, he pressed his nose into Tyson's hair and inhailed his stormy scent for the last time.

Nope. This wasn't a bad way to go at all. He got to see his mother once last time, Dranzer and Dragoon would eventually escape their prison and his and Tyson's deaths would stop the tournament and Boris' plans. As he saw the tops of the skyscrapers of the city below, he clutched Tyson a little closer to his chest and positioned them so that his body would be the first to crash into the Earth...Just so Tyson would at least have some small chance of surviving.

As he glimpsed the pavement, he shut his eyes.

 _This was it._

"SCREECH!"

He opened his eyes in surprise, never thinking he would hear that beautiful sound again. "Dranzer?"

Suddenly he found himself surrounded in sparkling crimson before he was blinded by a brilliant light.

When he was able to see again, he realized he was floating...not falling- in mid-air! He looked down and discovered that they were only a foot away from the ground. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in a window and his jaw went slack. There were a pair of beautiful, glowing, red phoenix wings protruding from his back. Tears fell from his eyes as he realized that his most trusted friend had saved his life once again.

"Ugh...K-Kai?"

Said man looked down, delighted that his beloved was looking at him with confused brown eyes, his wounds completely healed.

"Woah! Kai! You have wings!"

He grinned. "Let's test them out." Picking up the blue-haired boy bridal-style, he gave an experimental flap of his wings and they quickly ascended through the air. Tyson loosened his hold around the Crimson Angel's neck as they soared through the clouds.

"Am I in Heaven?"

"No. You almost made it there though before Dranzer saved us."

 _Us?_ "You jumped after me?" The boy asked, not believing his ears.

"You'd do the same for me."

Tyson's cheekbones hurt from smiling so hard, before his eyes became serious. "Let's go save your mom and teach Boris a lesson!"

"Lets." The older teen flapped his wings harder and they raced through the sky, heading for the fortress.

* * *

"The hell?"

They were back up in the starship and it was a much different scene than when they left. Gideon was dead on the ground with a bullet hole through his neck, Kenny was free, Dimitri had Boris at gunpoint and their were feathers _everywhere_. The boys then watched Anya pull out a deflated, white pillow-life contraption from under her dress with a massive hole in it, revealing a flat stomach. Kai gawked at her. "What the hell?"

Anya was overjoyed to see her son alive and rushed up to hug him. "Oh thank God, Dranzer made it to you in time!" She then turned her attention to Tyson who was still in Kai's arms. "Are you okay?" Kai gently set Tyson down on the floor, even though letting him go was the very last thing he wanted to do.

"Kai used Dranzer's power to heal me, so there's no need to worry about little ol' me." he said, giving a smile.

"I saw what you did for us. That was reckless." The woman glared, her expression suddenly becoming icy, sending a shiver down the teenager's spine.

Tyson inched closer to Kai, rubbing his head sheepishly. "Ha-ha. It's easy to see where Kai gets his people skills from. Isn't that right Kai?"

But Kai was currently glaring daggers at Dimitri. "Care to explain why you decide to change sides _after_ Tyson and I are nearly killed?"

"I'm a doctor, not a fighter. I was aiming for Gideon's arm when I shot him." said Dimitri as he kept the gun trained on his step-brother.

"What are we going to do with him?" asked Tyson, glaring at Boris.

"Take him to the authorities, with Anya's testimony and his prior record, they might find that solitary confinement is best suited to him."

Boris paled.

 **BOOM!**

A loud explosion rocked the ship to its foundation as it suddenly tilted left, before levelling off and a voice came through the radio that was attached to Boris' breast pocket. "Sir! The stabilizers have been destroyed, we're taking heavy fire! What do we do?!"

The elevator doors suddenly opened and all the Blitzkrieg Boys along with Hiro, Brooklyn barged into the room with Max and the others en-tow. "We gotta get out of here _**now!**_ " Ordered Hiro.

Bryan stared at Kai's wings. "Woah- You're an angel now?!"

"Turns out Hell isn't ready for me to take over yet." The ground shook as another thundering explosion rang throughout the room. "What did you guys do?!"

"After Spencer and Ian were done laying waste to the walking garbage cans, they got to the control room where they shut the rest down. When we met up with Hiro and Brooklyn, they had just finished defeating two bladers and that's when Spencer and Ian used voice commands to lead us out of the maze and to the control room. We discovered then that Max's Team had been captured, so we had to break them out." Tala said grinning.

"And we may have taken out the control system and anything else we could find in the process." chuckled Bryan.

Hiro looked at the scene before them and raised an eyebrow. "What happened here?"

"A hell of a betrayal." said Tyson smiling, looking at Dimitri fondly.

The floor shook and tilted violently, knocking everyone off balance, and spiralling to the floor. Unfortunately the forgotten gun skitted back into Boris' awaiting hand, and he fired off a round. Tala screamed as his shoulder exploded into pain. The madman then sweeped the gun back and forth at the group. "If any of you think you're getting out of her alive, think again!"

Kai's eyes glowed bright red and the weapon combusted. "Think again _**Boris.**_ " he said, growling out the bastard's name. "The only one who's not getting out of her alive is you."

The ship became more unstable and an explosion took out the elevator spewing fire and debris into the room. As the orange flames grew in size, everyone could see there was only one way out. Picking up the legendary blades off the floor, Kenny handed them to Kai and Tyson. "Our survival depends on you."

Kai and Tyson glanced at each other and nodded as the room started filling with smoke. They walked over to the shattered window. "Everyone! Grab a hand and hold on. We'll jump on the count of three." ordered the Russian.

Bryan gawked. "You're putting a lot of faith in those wings, aren't you Sunshine?" Nevertheless, he grabbed his lover's uninjured arm tightly with one hand and grabbed Spencer's hand with the other. "Just don't drop us on our face or something."

Tyson snorted. "Trust me, it would be an improvement."

Before anyone could add their two cents, Kai glared at the group. "Alright, enough clowning around unless you want to be left here with him." He nodded over to Boris, who was slumped onto the floor.

Without another word, everyone grabbed hands.

"3...2...1... **JUMP**!"

The ship exploded.

* * *

Alright. It's 5 in the morning. I'll leave it there until next week.

Be happy, Dimitri killed Gideon! :D  
Please leave a review, I'm open to criticism!


	47. Chapter 47

Disclaimer: After a few nights in jail and then let out on good behaviour...I'm very sad to say that my plan to kidnap Takao Aoki did not go as planned and I still do not own the rights to beyblade.

Hello everyone! So I know what you all are thinking... "Where the fuck have you been?!". Well I was focusing on getting my driver's licence and I failed the first road test, then the second guy failed me for following directions...so I kinda got mad and really focused on getting as much practice as possible. Then once I got it, I relentlessly abused my freedom. But it's all out of my system now...I think. Then PokemonGo came out. Then I caught Strep and that has knocked me on my ass for a few days. I've more or less kinda told people to fuck off so I can focus on writing. I've almost finish a new fic for you guys, then once that's done I'm going to work on other ones I've neglected. Oh yeah, Rapid P. Saiko is back guys!

Thank-you to Nawmay, Senseless, Demons of the arch angel, Tyka's Flower, CorynofHoole, Angel Devastation, , Violet Hiwatari, Granger Rebellion, Kirafox and beygirl1234 for reviewing and to all the wonderful readers who keep coming back. Thank-you for everything, I love you all.

Warnings: Keep a kitten close...but not as close as the other chapters.

* * *

"3...2...1... **JUMP**!"

The ship exploded.

The group could feel the heat on their backs as they barely escaped the inferno, all of them clutching onto each other's hands like a lifeline as their bodies fell through the skies, the sounds of the explosions ringing in their ears.

"Dimitri, Brooklyn break apart!" ordered Kai, the pair letting go of their hands just before a piece of the ship flattened them.

The group was now split in two, Tyson flying and supporting Ray, Max, Rick, Kenny, Hiro and Brooklyn. While Kai had Anya, Dimitri, Spencer, Bryan and Tala. Kai and Tyson looked up and saw the flying debris falling towards them. "Hold on guys!" shouted Tyson as he quickly veered right.

"Brace yourselves!" yelled Kai as he pulled his group back, just in time as two hunks of burning metal nearly crushed Spencer and Tala.

The next two minutes were intense as Tyson and Kai did a series of aerial acrobatics to avoid the burning pieces of the ship from killing any of them.

"Now that we're not in peril... can someone get this creep off of me?!"

Everyone looked over to Tala and saw Boris hanging by his ankle.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Shouted Bryan, "Why don't you just die already?!"

Kai was concentrating on blasting the purple cockroach off Tala's foot, when Tyson's voice stopped him. "Don't do it Kai!"

Kai glared and his head snapped up and he met Tyson's stormy eyes. "Why shouldn't I? After everything he did to you, my mother?! I have every right to make his pitiful existence come to an end."

Tyson looked at Boris' terrified face. "I'm not saying that you don't Kai, but he's unarmed. Killing him now would be just sinking beneath his level."

"Then what do you suggest we do with him?" asked the Russian, glaring at the person responsible for all their torment.

"We drop him off at the first police station we see. It's not his fault his mother never loved him enough." Tyson reasoned.

"Oh trust me, she did!" hollered Dimitri from Kai's left.

Knowing that Kai probably didn't have the energy to argue the matter with Tyson further, Bryan looked down to where Boris was hanging. "Hear that ugly?! You picked being Bubba's bitch over having your saggy old ass barbequed!"

All Boris could do was hang his head in defeat.

As the group glided through the skies, Kai found carrying the extra weight of his passengers to be relatively easy, thanks to his strong wings and the air currents Tyson would send him if he got too low. He kept glancing over to the navy haired teen. Even with 6 people, he didn't seem to be tiring at all, in fact, in the night skies, he looked like some kind of modern day Peter Pan with his lost boys. Where did Tyson get his power from? Was it really just from believing in himself?

"NO!"

Tala's cry made everyone snap their heads sharply. "What's wrong?!" The dual-haired Russian demanded.

"Boris just let go of my foot! I think he dropped onto one of the city skyscrapers!"

Pure rage coursed through Kai, and he shot Tyson a dirty look. "This is on you Kinomiya!"

"What?! Why? Because I decided not to let you become a murderer?!"

"No, for letting a murderer escape!"

"Pffft, if anything it's Tala's fault, he was on his leg and part of your group!"

"Need I remind you Tyson that I was SHOT?!" shouted Tala.

Deciding to step in, before Tyson and Kai managed to undo months of progress, by saying something hurtful and stupid, Ray said, "Look, yelling about it and pointing fingers isn't going to solve anything. It's been a long day and we're all tired. Since this morning, we managed to save not only Kenny, but Kai's mom and each other too. We shouldn't worry so much about Boris because we've crippled his resources. We know where he will be."

"At the tournament." said Tyson, grinding his teeth.

Kai took a deep breath. Ray was right. It was stupid to be playing blame games. None of this would have happened if he had just killed Boris and Gideon when they had kidnapped and tortured Tyson all those months ago. All of this was on him. Now he only had one goal- **To destroy those bladers.**

* * *

"I can't believe that Boris had Kai's mother all this time!" said Hilary as she and Kenny walked together to the boy's house. "When we find that creep he's going to be sorry when the Bladebreakers are through with him. Let alone Kai."

"Yeah. I kinda want to be a fly on the wall when that happens." the two brunettes giggled for a moment before Hilary stopped walking, causing Kenny to turn around in question.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?"

Kenny looked up at the woman and smiled. "Yeah, I'm just fine."

"They hurt you, didn't they?"

Kenny's face darkened and he silently rolled up his sleeves, revealing nasty abrasions along his arms.

Hilary gasped. "Those monsters! Wait till I find Boris! I'm going to teach him the meaning of pain!" She started marching in a random direction, when the male grabbed her arm.

"Don't worry, I've already taken care of that."

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you think Boris kidnapped me in the first place? He wanted me to create a new beyblade for him. When I refused, he whipped me until I agreed." He chuckled. "The joke is on them though, I made them new beyblades, but they have one fatal flaw. Tyson and the others should have no trouble defeating them."

Hilary stared in awe at the teen's genius for a moment before grabbing him by the back of the shirt and started dragging him.

"Ah! Hilary! Where are you taking me?!"

"You need to get your wounds treated right away!"

"N-nonono! That's okay! It's fine, honest!"

"God! Why didn't you say anything when they took Tala to the hospital?! You're starting to get as bad as Kai and Tyson!" she scolded as she walked.

However when got to the house and opened the front door, she realized her mistake.

"Oh KENNY!" The portly Mrs. Saien rushed up to her son and gave him a bone-crushing hug. "My baby! Are you alright?! Did those bad men hurt you?"

Hilary sweat dropped, as her friend was suffocated by his mother's massive bosoms. "Right...no one told your parents we rescued you..."

"I'm fine mom, really!" he wheezed, grateful when she finally let go.

"Did this have anything to do with that stupid game you and your friends play?!"

Hilary bit her lip nervously, Kenny was a bad liar. So she was surprised when he gave his mother an odd half-smile. "No mom. The whole thing turned out to be a huge misunderstanding. Boris was recruiting students to go to this special school. This entire thing was a test for Tyson and them. I've known about it for weeks! I left clues for the guys on how to find me. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, I couldn't risk you telling them and ruining everything."

Hilary blinked. That was so smooth, especially everything he said was some form of the truth.

"Oh. Well did they pass?"

"Yup. They found me within 24 hours, but Tyson was so mad how they did it, he told them to take a hike."

The woman placed her hands on her thick hips. "Well I don't blame him, I wish I could have told them off myself." She looked down at her son. "You must be hungry. Hilary, why don't you spend the night since it's so late?"

Said person blushed and bowed, realizing it was after 11:00pm. "Yes mam, thank-you."

"Great, I'll call your mom and tell her not to worry." She glared at Kenny, "It's not nice to make mother's worry."

He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry Mom."

After dinner, after locking the bedroom door, Hilary attended to Kenny's wounds. After a long period of silence, she finally asked, "Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you tell Emily and not me?"

Kenny smiled softly. "Because I didn't want you to worry in case it turned out to be nothing."

"We could have protected you better!"

"I know, but the guys really needed to focus on the tournament."

" **I** could have protected you!"

"I couldn't risk you being captured with me." he said softly.

They stared at each other for a long time. Then Hilary grabbed Kenny by his shirt and crashed their lips together.

The male was stunned for a moment before he wrapped his arms around the girl's slim waist and kissed her back fervently. She pushed him onto the bed and they got lost in the kiss. When they finally pulled away for air, Hilary gently brushed back his long bangs, gasping when she an eye the colour of the purest emerald, and the other the colour of a crystal blue sea.

"They're weird, I know." he said nervously.

"They're beautiful." He pulled her down and kissed her again.

* * *

Now that everyone had gone back to their respective houses and hotels, it was just Kai, Tyson, Anya and Dimitri sitting in Kai's living room.

The Russian eyed them both, Dimitri's clothes where dishevelled, stained with drops of what he assumed to be Gideon's blood on the front, his usual cheery face was worn and tired, with heavy bags settling underneath his blue eyes.

His mother was much in the same state, there was large hole in her dress in the stomach, with some of her pale skin showing through, and the ends were tattered. This was the first time she seemed human to him. Meek. That's when it struck Kai how young she looked. Thirty; probably could pass for younger if she wanted to. This was the first time he realized how little he actually knew about his mother. In the little he did remember about his childhood, he only remembered his mother as cold and harsh, only apart of the background. "You both can stay for however long you need to, but Tyson and I deserve answers."

He watched from the corner of his eye Tyson give an appreciative smile, no doubt expecting to be kicked out of the room. Kai still had half a mind to kick him out, but his family drama had nearly gotten the teen killed how many times?! And even through all of it, he was still here sitting right next to him.

"What do you want to know?" asked Anya.

"Everything. Start from the beginning."

The woman sighed and began her tale.

* * *

Ok, answers come next chapter! I PROMISE it won't take a month to update this time! Until then, please drop me a review pretty please with Kai and Tyson on top?


	48. Chapter 48

Disclaimer: Takao Aoki owns these amazing characters, the plot of beyblade, the game of beyblade and probably a mansion...while I can't find matching socks most days.

This week has been a week from hell, from all sides of life...but thank God for fanfiction. If anyone is searching for an angry song, I highly recommend "Success is the Best Revenge" by Blood on the Dance Floor. Once again I apologize for the late update...I worked 11 days straight.

Thank-you to Tyka's Flower, Demon's of the arch angel, Senseless, Violet Hiwatari, MadWorld6 and KiraFox for your reviews and to all the readers who are still reading this beast of a story!

No warnings!

* * *

Anya Rosenov kept a face of stone as her mother screamed in her face.

"Pregnant at seventeen! You disgraceful harlot! Did you think about what your actions would do to this family?! We told you to stay away from that Hiwatari boy! You slut!" Her hand came up to slap her daughter, however as she swung down, Susumu Hiwatari caught her wrist, putting himself between the woman he loved and her attacker. He stared at her shocked face.

"That's quite enough, Mrs. Rosenov. While I'm sorry for putting you all into this situation, that does not give you the right to hit my future wife."

Anya gasped. Did he just-

"You have some nerve speaking to my wife like that, you little ingrate!" Boomed the baritone voice of Viktor Rosenov. "I don't give a damn about who your father is, I will beat that pretty face of your until it's bloody, then I'll take my daughter and get **rid of that abomination in her stomach!"** The heavy-set man grabbed his belt that was hanging on the back of the couch.

Susumu's gaze hardened as he placed Anya behind him protectively. "I'm beginning to understand why you flinched so much whenever I tried to touch you." he said softly to Anya.

"Told you this wouldn't be pretty." The girl muttered.

"Looks like there's nothing left to do but steal you away."

"Over my dead body!" Viktor bellowed, using the belt like a whip he swung down, but Susumu was ready. The Hiwatari caught the whip in his hand.

Ignoring the throbbing pain, he declared, "Nothing is going to stop me from marrying your daughter! We **are** going to have this baby and nothing you say will change that!" He put on a dark pair of sunglasses. "Anya! Close your eyes **now**!"

The girl quickly obeyed and Susumu dropped a flash grenade, blinding all the other occupants in the room. Picking up his girlfriend bridal style, he carried her out the house. Behind them, Anya could heard her father screaming, "YOU'RE DEAD TO US ANYA! YOU HEAR ME? **DEAD TO US!** "

The Hiwatari didn't stop running until the reached the end of the block **,** gently setting his girlfriend onto the grass. "Did you really mean that?" She asked him pointedly, a solemn expression on her soft face.

He smiled. "Every word." He laid a hand on her still flat stomach, where a little heart was beating. "I'm going to talk to my father, despite what people think about him, he really isn't all bad. I'll work hard to make sure that you and our child have the life you deserve."

Cerise eyes filling with tears, she embraced him, immediately feeling safe in his strong arms. "Just know you never have to do this all by yourself." She whispered into his chest.

He held her tighter, kissing her navy hair. He only hoped that his father would be more understanding than her parents.

* * *

"...which is why I would like to request for her to live here in the mansion with us."

Voltaire stared at his only son with an unreadable expression, and glanced over to the girl who sat beside him, who now was carrying his grandchild. She lifted her eyes to meet his. It was easy to see why his son was so taken with this woman. She had long, thick hair, a large round chest, a small waist and a fair face...but it was her eyes that striked him the most. They were an enchanting shade of red and held a fire that he did not see in most men. A strong soul who did not fear pain. In Japanese he asked, "Can you understand me, girl?"

"Hai."

He switched to English. "What about now?"

"Perfectly."

Smirking, he switched back to Russian. "There's such potential in you." He glanced back at his son. "You've picked a fine woman." Susumu brightened. "When do you turn 18, girl?"

"June 11th, sir."

Voltaire eyed both teenagers carefully, weighing his options. "The baby is due in late July, correct?"

"Yes." The couple said in unison.

"I expect you both to finish the school year with top marks. We will plan a small wedding in late June, after exams. After the wedding, you both will find a house suitable to your needs, then you will come work for me, Susumu."

"Yes father."

He glanced over at Anya. "I would like my medical team to see to your medical care. This means we will be doing genetic mapping of the baby."

"Of course, sir. Whatever you think is necessary."

* * *

Anya was really starting to re-think things as she saw the size of the needle that was supposed to be going into her stomach. It didn't help matters that she had been holding her bladder for over an hour now. "Is this really necessary?"

"Lord Voltaire wants to make sure that there are absolutely no issues with the pregnancy, so yes." The doctor smiled. "We will be able to know the sex of the baby as well. Would you like to know when the results come back?"

The woman looked down at her growing belly. Everything had been happening so fast, she hadn't even considered the gender. She thought for a moment. "Yes, so I can start picking out clothes."

The doctor's smiled widened. "What are you hoping for?"

"A boy."

"Alright. Let's see where the little guys is then." He placed a cool gel on her bare stomach and rolled the translucer over it in small circles while looking at the monitor. "Perfect. He's in a good position for me to do the procedure, so I'll quickly get it over with, then I'll let you see your baby."

Anya blinked. "I can see him today?"

"Of course. Unless you don't want to?"

"Of course I want to!...This is all just happening so quickly is all."

"Of course. So much change so quickly. I'll just get my assistant into the room and we'll get the procedure on its way." The doctor disappeared for a moment before coming back with a oriental woman, according to her name tag, her name was Dr. Kimichi. The female doctor took over the ultrasound, while he started rubbing an orange liquid over her belly. "This is just a numbing agent that will make the amniocentesis less painful for you. You might feel a little pressure and maybe some pain after, but nothing unbearable." Anya nodded and held her breath as the needle was slowly inserted, the doctor watching the monitor intensely as he did so. The syringe filled with fluid and after a few moments, the doctor removed the needle. "Phew. We were lucky hat he is sleeping." He covered the puncture wound with a cotton swap and tapped it. "You can see your baby now."

Anya nodded and the doctor turned the monitor. On the screen was a large white blob that was making small movements. "There he is. You're about 16 weeks and he appears to be developing wonderfully."

The mother-to-be looked at the screen with wonder, completely in love with the tiny human already.

* * *

"Congratulations! You're going to be the mother of a healthy baby boy!"

Anya couldn't believe her ears. "So everything is fine?"

"Yes, despite your age, the foetus seems to have absolutely no genetic conditions. We've pinpointed to July 29th and we'll be doing an ultrasound every few weeks to make sure everything is fine. Just keep taking your prenatal vitamins and eat plenty of fruit and veggies. See you in a few weeks Mrs. Rosenov."

"Thank-you." As soon as the doctor left the room, her fiancee looked at Anya with a huge smile.

"Isn't this wonderful? We're going to have a healthy baby boy!" he picked up his soon-to-be wife and spun her around the room.

"Susu- Stop! Susu!" She laughed before she suddenly went pale. "I'm going to be sick!" Susumu immediately placed the woman down who grabbed the nearest trash can and started emptying her stomach contents.

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry. Man, the morning sickness still hasn't let up, has it? I thought it was supposed to get better in the second trimester?"

"Apparently this little bastard has other ideas." the woman moaned, wiping the puke off her chin as Susumu raised an eyebrow.

"Little bastard? Is that what you're calling him?"

"Damn rights."

* * *

Tyson clutched his stomach as his laughter rang throughout the room. "You seriously called Kai 'Little bastard'?!" He turned and looked at his roommate. "Dude! I totally know where you get your dry sense of humour from now!"

Kai's eyebrow twitched in irritation. Had he known that his mother was going to share his birth story, he would've sent the bluenette to his room hours ago.

Anya laughed. "I know, horrible right? I was sick my whole freaking pregnancy with him though. Trying to do schoolwork and read parenting books was a nightmare. Little bastard gave me such awful motion sickness, I couldn't go into a vehicle without a puke bucket handy."

"Hahahaha, you have no idea how much the name still fits. To us, he's 'The Coldest Bastard in all of Russia."

As everyone laughed at his expense the vein on the 'Little bastard's' forehead throbbed. "Can we just **please** get on with it?"

The woman raised an eyebrow. Absent from his life for a decade or not, Anya knew her son. He was very much like her when it came to his personal life; A huge "Keep Out" sign that was reinforced with a sharp death glare, so she was surprised that not only Kai didn't lash out at Tyson for the insult, but didn't throw him out the nearest exit. From the moment they met she could sense the closeness between the two males. Her ruby eyes discreetly glanced over the blue-haired teen who was still grinning up at Kai. Who was he to Kai? "Anyways," she continued, "your father and I both graduated at the top of our classes and we were married. We found a sweet little cottage outside the city and moved in."

Something clicked in Kai's head. "This cottage doesn't happen to have a trap door that leads down to a weird maze, does it?"

Anya stared at her son in shock. "I'm surprised you would remember that. Susumu insisted on it to keep out unwanted visitors."

Tyson's eyes widened in realization. "No way! The safe house we went to when we were hiding from Kusenov is _yours_?"

"Oh? So it's still around then?" Anya asked.

"Yeah. It really saved our necks too." confirmed the teen.

"I'll need to go back there." she said, smiling softly. "Anyways, everything was peaceful for a time. Susumu did as promised and started working for Voltaire, while I kept reading parenting booklets and learned how to be a homemaker and everything was going well, until the day you were born Kai."

"What happened?" asked Tyson.

* * *

The woman couldn't believe it. After all the planning, all those tests, all the ultrasounds, after all the pain and hards of labour, what was supposed to be her healthy baby boy now laid dead in her arms.

* * *

"Dead?! How can a perfectly healthy baby just be dead?" Outbursted Tyson which resulted in identical icy glares from both Hiwataris, making the Japanese teen's blood run cold. "Oopsie...I'll just shut-up now."

"Didn't know that was possible." Kai muttered, wanting his mother to continue with the story.

"To answer your question Tyson, sometimes these things just happened." explained Dimitri. "Sometimes the stress of labour is too much for the baby's heart, sometimes the umbilical cord gets twisted in utero and the baby can't get enough oxygen. Most of the time however, even the best doctors can't figure out the cause of death."

"I see, but what about Kai? If he was born dead, how is he alive today?"

"Stop talking and I'll tell you." said the woman, glowering. Tyson made a motion with his hands that he was zipping his mouth shut and throwing away the key.

* * *

Tears streaming down her face, Anya cradled her son to her chest.

"So he was weak after all."

Everyone looked up to see Voltaire standing in the doorway with disapproval clearly written on his face.

Susumu's blood boiled. Rising to his feet he shouted, "You take that back!"

"Face it Susumu, that child wasn't strong enough to survive childbirth. I very much doubt that any of your future offspring will have any potential."

Susumu looked at his father with wide, pained, angry eyes. His frame shook as he spoke. "I can't believe you. We just lost our firstborn son and all you care about is that stupid god forsaken company!"

While the two males argued, Anya could do nothing but weep, utterly heartbroken at the loss of her child. She looked down at his deathly face. His bow lips were blue. His chubby, soft cheeks were white as snow. She brushed the little wisps of dark blue hair...hair like hers. Even in death, he was perfect. Hugging the tiny limp body tighter to her chest, she whispered, "Please, I beg anyone listening. Just bring him back. Bring him back to me!"

 _ **Screech!**_

Everyone in the room looked in astonishment as a red and golden bird flew in from the open window, and landed on the broken mother's bed. Its regal feathers were a sparkling crimson and gold dust trailed from it's tail, strange gold markings covered the sides of its face.

It spoke.

 _"Your cries and pleas have brought me here. Let me see your child."_

Hesitantly, Anya held out the lifeless infant to the strange creature, surprised when the bird bowed its head over her son and golden tears fell from its eyes and onto her child's face.

Her baby was suddenly engulfed in a glorious golden light and rose into the air. Due to the light's intensity, Anya was forced to close her eyes. She then heard the most beautiful sound in the world.

A baby's first cry.

Her eyes immediately snapped open and she wrapped her arms around her child and tears once more fell from her eyes. She looked down at his screaming face. His cheeks were now a healthy pink, his lips no longer blue. She paused when she saw that her son now had silver bangs instead of blue. Was that due to the creature's magic? She lifted her head to thank the bird, only to find that it had disappeared.

* * *

"Dranzer." Kai whispered, holding out his beyblade, his eyes glistening.

"Yes. You've always had her Kai. Since the day you were born."

* * *

So a few questions answered...Kinda...We now know why Kai's hair is both silver and blue instead of just being blue. Dranzer's magic!

More answers to come with the next chapter! I apologize for all the typos. My sleeping schedule is out of whack, so I'm half asleep while typing this. Pokemon Go takes a lot out of you...

Please leave a review?


	49. Chapter 49

Disclaimer: The lawyers can fuck off because I own nothing.

So, yeah, another late chapter...been fighting off colds and small children drain you dry, but my small child is with her daddy and I can enjoy having no bedtime and drinking water out of a wine glass. Pokemon Hunting is also crazy time consuming. If anyone cares, I'm Team Instinct!

Thank-you to Granger Rebellion, Senseless, Violet Hiwatari, KiraFox and Tyka's Flower for all your kind words that keep me motivated to finish this story. Thank-you to all my readers. I adore you all!

Warnings: None?...Oh wait...ALL of the warnings. This chapter is painful.

Happy reading!

* * *

"So what happened with Voltaire? How did you end up to be one of Boris' pawns?" asked Tyson.

"Well..." Anya continued, "...Kai wasn't a normal child."

* * *

 **THUD!**

"Waaaaaaah!"

The young mother raced into the room, her heart rattling in her chest as panic threw her mind into a frenzy. Her heart rose into her throat when she saw her 18 month old son's arms laying limp under the book shelf that had detached itself from the wall. With a strength she didn't know she possessed, she picked up the heavy, oak shelf and threw it onto the other side of the room.

She forced herself to swallow the bile that had risen in the back of her throat.

Blood covered her son's face and his nose was clearly broken, his arms had huge gashes on them and his breathing was shallow and raspy. In a gentle voice, she tried to soother her crying babe as she took him into her shaking arms. "Shh, it's ok, it's ok. Mama's here. Mama's here." She brushed a blood-soaked silver strained of hair out of his eyes as she struggled to hang onto her sanity.

 _She had to call an ambulance._

"Don't move sweetie." She ran to the kitchen and grabbed the phone that was attached to the wall and dialled 911.

"Hello 911, what's your emergency?"

But Anya wasn't paying attention, too focused on the scene happening before her. Her son was _**glowing.**_ His injuries healing before her very eyes. Soon Kai was sitting upright looking around, the only evidence of the ordeal was the blood that stained his face and clothes.

"Hello? 911, what is your emergency?"

Anya hung up the phone.

* * *

"You let a bookcase fall on me?" said Kai disbelievingly, his arms folded over his chest, his piercing gaze boring into his mother, clearly not impressed.

"It's not my fault! You had a bad habit of climbing on nearly everything! Bookcases. Kitchen counters. I had to tie things to the wall so they wouldn't fall!"

"You obviously missed something."

"I didn't think my 1 year old would attempt to climb a freaking bookshelf! Trust me, it wasn't in the parenting manual."

"Sounds like Dranzer was the only one keeping an eye on me."

Anya then shot a glare so deadly, Tyson actually saw Kai flinch. "Watch your tongue Kai Alexander Hiwatari and remember who gave it to you in the first place. I could have always aborted you."

Kai's eyes went wide and Tyson's mouth dropped and he forced himself not to laugh. It wasn't everyday that the snarky Russian was put in his place. Fortunately Kai wisely kept his mouth shut and Anya continued her story. "Your healing abilities did not go unnoticed by your grandfather, and that's when he started his research into bitbeasts. Then he met Boris. Together they decided to combine their resources to unlock the power of the bitbeasts. Then one day, everything changed..."

* * *

"Left?! What do you mean he left?!" Anya shouted, not believing her ears.

"It appears Susumu wanted something else. Chose beyblading over the company." Voltaire said calmly.

"He wouldn't do something like that without telling me!" the woman insisted, "He wouldn't leave me, leave Kai, without some sort of warning!"

"I guess it appears that neither of us _really_ knew him, doesn't it?" the old man snapped, causing Anya to bite her tongue. "As it stands, Kai is the sole heir to the company. I want him properly educated. I have made arrangements with my associates Vladmir Kusenov and Boris Balkov to be trained at an abbey in Russia."

The woman's body then started shaking in rage and she struggled to keep her voice even. "R-Russia? Kai is only 5! He's too young to be that far away from me!"

Voltaire rose to his feet. "It's already been decided. Put your petty womanly feelings aside and see that this is for your son's future!"

His words felt like a slap to the face. She clenched her fists and bowed her head as the powerful man strode past her. After a few moments she finally lifted her gaze and it landed on Boris, who was smiling like he had gotten everything he had ever wanted.

That smile made her rage bubble over.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY HUSBAND?!" She bellowed, reaching out and snatching the purple-haired parasite by the collar, her eyes glaring daggers into his smug visage. "What have you done with Susumu?"

His grin widened. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She swung her fist but he caught it and slammed her against the wall, leaning in close enough that she could smell his rancid breath. "If I were you, I would be thinking _really hard_ about what I say and do, as both your husband and your son's fates lie with me."

* * *

"And just like that my rights were stripped, my freewill taken. I had absolutely no say in anything and I couldn't do anything without the fear they would hurt you or your father. You have no idea how relieved I was when you finally escaped out of their clutches. And when you were in danger once more, I wasn't going to stand there and let Boris have his way with you." Anya and Kai shared a small, understanding look between each other.

Several moments passed before Tyson asked, "So what happened to Kai's dad?"

"I have no idea, and after 14 years, I don't think I'll ever know. I learned nothing from Boris and neither did Dimitri. It's like he disappeared without a trace. Bastards probably changed his named and brought him to some remote country." She scowled.

"There's gotta be something we can do!" insisted Tyson.

"Just drop it Kinomiya."

Tyson looked at his rival with disbelief. "You can't be giving up too! It's your _father_!"

"Doesn't change the fact that no one has heard from him in 14 years."

"But Kai-"

"Trust me, false hope doesn't help anyone." said Anya darkly. "The only thing that matters now is stopping Boris. At this point, I can only assume that Susumu is dead so we can concentrate on taking out Boris without fear."

Tyson was about to protest again, but seeing the solemn expressions on both the Hiwatari's faces told him that this wasn't an easy decision for them to come to. With nothing else left to do, he balled up his fist. "We'll make Boris pay."

Kai glanced over at Dimitri. "How do you fit into all of this?"

"Well...Your mother and I only met a short time ago. Boris had called me while I was in the middle of surgery and just by the sound of his voice I could tell that something was immediately wrong. He told me I had to come to his place right away, saying that he had fucked up big time and it was a matter of life or death. I called in another doctor and I left in the middle of the surgery, not knowing I was in for the shock of my life."

* * *

The doctor stared in the doorway, his jaw slack. He knew of his step-brother's sadistic and twisted habits...but this...this was too much.

A frail, battered woman lay lifelessly on her stomach on the cold, dusty floor of the musty prison cell, her dark midnight hair obstructing her face from veiw. Her dress was torn and he could see the ugly purple and green bruises on her milky legs, some new and some old, clearly suggesting that she was used to harsh treatment. Around her was a pool of crimson, the walls were splattered with blood.

"I don't care how you save her, just do it." ordered the monster walking away, leaving the doctor alone with the woman.

"Asshole." muttered the Russian under his breath. Preparing for the worst, he gently knelt down to the woman, and pulled the hair from her face, internally wincing when he saw the cresent-shaped, purple-black bruise around her left eye. Blood was still leaking from her nostrils and running down her mouth and chin. "Can you tell me your name?"

The woman moaned and he eyes fluttered open. Dimitri froze when he saw those intense rubies. Could it be...? "Can you tell me your name?" he repeated, a little more demanding.

"A-Anya Hiwatari." she whispered.

Coming to a resolve within himself, he delicately took the woman's hand. "Hello Anya. My name is Dimitri. I'm going to fix you up and then you and I are going to come up with a plan to get you out of here."

"Why would you help me?" asked the woman warily, "What's in it for you?"

"I just happen to know a stubborn, young man with eyes like yours who would probably turn in his blade for a chance to see you again."

"Kai?" she smiled wistfully. "He wouldn't do that. I doubt that he would even remember me."

"Care to test out that theory?" the doctor asked, holding out his cellphone, offering her a will to live and a reason to continue fighting.

Through her blurred vision, Anya could just barely make out her son's name on the screen. With a trembling hand she pressed the call button...

* * *

Kai's face went white and he looked over to his mother. "You mean that first time you called me-"

"I was laying in a pool of my own blood after getting my ass kicked by Boris." finished Anya bitterly.

"After I mended her, we came up with the idea of faking a pregnancy to keep Boris' from unleashing his temper out on her. I gave her a bottle of ipecac to induce vomiting and it was easy to fake the rest of the symptoms." explained Dimitri.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kai asked, his voice and face stern.

The doctor sighed, running a hand through his salt and pepper hair. "Do you really have to ask? I've seen how wound up you get over an injured kitten. You jumped to your death for Tyson for Pete's sake! Knowing you, had I told you, you would have stormed Boris' fortress without a plan or back-up and gotten yourself captured or worse...then what good would have done anyone?"

"If Kai got captured, then the team would've just gone in there and rescued him." Tyson said, grinning, "Boris wouldn't have stood a chance."

Kai just crossed his arms and sent the doctor a smug look as Tyson just validated his point. Dimitri just shook his head and laughed. "You boys are just to much."

"But everything is alright now, right Kai?" Anya asked, trying to put the past behind them.

Kai stood up, his lips drawn in a tight line. "The only thing that would make _any_ of this alright is Boris behind bars." He walked out of the room, leaving his mother and the doctor to stare after him.

"Awww, don't worry about the sourpuss. He's happy to have you back, he's just worn out from all of the excitement today." said Tyson, explaining Kai's mannerisms. He checked the time. "Jeez no wonder he's cranky! It's past midnight! Feel free to spend the night, we have tons of rooms upstairs."

"Thank-you Tyson." Anya said sincerely.

"Awe, don't sweat it. Any family of his is family of mine! G'night!"

"Night."

Once the adults were sure he was out of earshot, Anya leaned over and said, "Is it just me, or are they head over heels for each other?"

Dimitri chuckled. "It really seems that way doesn't it? I think everyone but them can see it too."

The woman sighed. "Well there goes my hopes of having grandchildren. Who would have ever guess that Kai would turn out gay?"

"I think there's a story between them that we're entirely unaware about."

"I guess so." She said sighing, before a smile crept onto her lips. "But Tyson does seem good for him, doesn't he?"

"Yeah. Your son is in safe hands."

"That's a relief." Her soft look quickly became one of confusion as the doctor draped his arm around her narrow shoulders and tenderly took her hand into his.

"I hope you know that you are too. I won't let Boris or anyone else hurt you again."

"...Dimtri, I-" but she was silenced with a single finger laid over her lips and he leaned in closer. Shutting her eyes, Anya finally let go of the belief that her husband was still alive somewhere and pressed her lips against his. Warmth flooded her being as she slowly felt herself opening up to the man who had helped giving back both her son and her freedom.

* * *

Upstairs, Tyson timidly knocked on his roommate's bedroom door.

"It's open Kinomiya."

Tyson walked into to see Kai sitting on his bed tinkering with his Dranzer, Kei curled up on his left thigh, purring soundly. He was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and grey sweatpants, his face free of his warpaint. "What is it? Need a human teddy bear?" He asked teasingly, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Actually I wanted to thank-you for saving my life today, Kai. When Boris kicked me off the ledge I thought I was done for."

"You can thank me once we put him away for good." said the Russian gruffly.

"Just know you won't have to do it all alone." Kai looked up and they shared a small smile, before Tyson strolled over and took a seat on the edge of the king-size mattress.

"You should get some sleep Kinomiya. Tomorrow I'm going to be ruthless until I know we can win out matches against those bastards."

Tyson sighed. "How do you think they became so strong in the first place? I mean we've faced tough opponents before, but even Brooklyn wasn't this tough." He laid down on the mattress.

"It's a combination of incredibly powerful bitbeasts, high-tech beyblades and the fact that losing just isn't an option for them." explain the Phoenix Master, setting down his blade, stroking Kei's fur softly.

"It's more than that. It's like they have no conscious. They don't even care who gets hurt in the process." He looked up at his Captain. "What did Boris do to make them so soulless?"

"Boris, Gideon, Dr. K...It doesn't matter. Our only mission is to stop them by any means necessary."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. But it still makes me wonder."

The older blader sighed. "You're only going to give yourself a headache." He picked up his kitten and turned off the lamp on his bedside table. "You staying or not?" He asked as he crawled under the covers.

"I'll stay." The teenager threw off his red jacket and kicked off his jeans so he was only wearing his yellow wife-beater and baby-blue boxers and climbed in next to Kai, who put his arm around him. They couldn't help but feel safe as their bodies pressed up against each other, their shared warmth coaxing them into relaxation. They laid their together, the comforting sounds of their breathing making all the horrors of the world ebb away from their minds, and the sweet intoxication of each other's scent gently pulling them into a deep slumber.

From the doorway, Anya Hiwatari couldn't help but smile as she peered down at their peaceful expressions, silently wishing that time would just stand still.

* * *

And there! Done and edited! Please let me know what you think in a review! Next chapter the focus shifts back to the tournament!


	50. Chapter 50

Disclaimer:...goddammit! I don't even own a "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

My excuse this week: Well my daughter started school, I got a new job, might be quitting the other one due to piss-poor management, and the latest chapter of Twisted basically delayed everything. So this week I'm playing catch-up, but the good news is I have a whole bunch of stories to update. Plus this chapter is huge.

Thank you to Senseless, Tyka's Flower, Violet Hiwatari, Demons of the arch angel, KiraFox and Tammy Wisswell for all your reviews that keep me sane and keep writing.

Warnings: So this chapter we're returning to the Tournament of Death, so of course...ALL THE WARNINGS!

Announcement: **This, I believe, is the start of** **The Last 10 Chapters of Borderline** **!**

* * *

"C'mon boys! Harder!"

Sweat poured down their faces as the former Bladebreakers concentrated on pushing each other's blades back. It was a 4-man battle royale and they were all pushing each other beyond their limits. Sparks were showering across the beydish as their blades grinded against each other. Gritting their teeth, adrenaline pumping through their blood streams...they were going all out. Up in the sky, their bitbeasts were locked into battle, their blades mirroring their every movement.

"Arg! Enough of this! Dranzer!" shouted Kai, his blade following his orders and breaking from the pack, using the dish as a ramp to fly into the air to carry out an aerial assault. **"** **Hellfire Arrow** **!"** Blue flames surrounded the beyblade.

"DRAGOON!"

"DRACIEL!"

"DRIGGER!"

The three beyblades just barely avoided the attack as Dranzer crashed into the ground like a meteorite, creating a huge crater in the centre surrounded by a wall of blue fire.

"Woah, that's sweet!" commented Max in awe.

Kai chuckled and gave a challenging smirk. "Are any of you brave enough to take me on?"

Tyson was impressed, unless you wanted to take your chances with Dranzer's scorching flames, the only way to attack Kai now was by air, unfortunately for those brief few seconds that your blade was airborne, it was completely defenceless. He exchanged an uneasy look with Ray. It was a stalemate.

"My pleasure." grinned Max, surprising them all, **"Tsunami Maestorm!"** Draciel started encircling the ring of flames and a stream of water poured out of Max's blade, picking up speed. Around and around the spinning top went, until it was nothing more than a blurr in a powerful tsunami. The waves crashed down on the flames and flowed into the crater.

Kai poured his energy into Dranzer to increase it's spin. **"Fiend Blaze!"** Fire sounded the blade, evaporating the water before it could make contact.

Seeing an opening, Ray made his move. **"Howling Claw!** " Suddenly there were now sixteen Driggers instead of one! Half of the Drigger army attacked Draciel, while the other half went after Dranzer.

Tyson pulled back his Dragoon to the very edge of the dish, and waited. He watched the frenzy carefully. He smirked. "Dragoon! **"** Before anyone could blink, Dragoon navigated a path through the chaos and hit all three blades, sending them all out of the dish.

"Tyson wins!" announced Hiro. The others looked at the champion, their mouths hanging open in denial.

"Better luck next time guys." Tyson winked, recalling his Dragoon to his hand. "If you want, I'll take all three of you on at the same time!"

"No."

"Wha-?" Tyson looked to his brother in question.

"You guys are all exhausted." said the coach, gesturing to their weary forms and tattered clothes. "We've been at it for 6 hours now and you all need to be in top form for the tournament tomorrow. Go home and get some rest. You guys are more than ready for those bladers."

The boys all sighed. "I hate to say this, but Hiro is right." said Max as he wiped a few droplets of sweat off his brow.

"Yeah, not only that, but they haven't faced our new blades yet!" said Tyson, holding up his Dragoon Storm Heart. "They won't stand a chance."

"Yeah." said Max with a smile. "All of their data would've gone down with the fortress. They have no idea what's coming!"

"Don't let yourselves get too cocky." said Hiro warningly.

"It's not the fact that we're cocky, we know that they can pull a sly trick at anytime to change the tables, but we have an edge on them that should keep things even." explained Tyson.

"It's true!" confirmed Kenny. "By my calculations, with your new skill level combined with the power of the new blades, it should give you guys an advantage over the enemy."

Hiro nodded. "Alright then. You have your blades, but watch it. These bladers are still highly unpredictable and are playing by a different set of rules. Stay sharp. Show no weakness and play to your strengths."

"Awwww right! The Bladebreakers are back in action!" cheered Tyson. He glanced to the side and his eyes grew wide as saucers as he spied Hilary and Kenny holding hands. "No way! You two finally got together?!"

The couple blushed and looked to each other lovingly before Tyson's statement finally sunk in. "Wait! What do you mean by 'finally'?" demanded Hilary.

"Oh c'mon! You guys were so obvious! I saw the way you two would look at each other in class." grinned Tyson cheekily.

Both brunettes blushed bright red. "WHAT?! You knew Kenny liked me and you didn't tell me?!" the woman bellowed.

Tyson pretended to inspect his nails. "Gee, for being president of our class, you really are dense sometimes."

"Arg! That's it!" Hilary snatched the kendo stick that was in Hiro's hand and raised it over her head. "TYSON!"

Tyson was just barely able to dodge the weapon as he jumped to the side. "Jeez Hilary, it was JUST A JOKE!" But the woman wasn't listening as she took another swing at him, just narrowly missing his head.

"I'll show you whose dense!" promised the woman as she began chasing him around the room.

Max and Ray looked at each other with wide eyes. "Did you see that one coming?" asked the blonde.

"Nope, I thought Kenny liked Ming Ming." replied the neko-jin.

("Ow! Hilary- Back off!)

"Does this mean Tyson clued into something we didn't?" asked a baffled Max.

"I guess so." said Ray, his eyes landing on Tyson's secret admirer, silently wondering how the apparently perceptive Tyson, could be so blind to Kai's love-sick looks.

Max followed Ray's gaze and caught on, silently nodding in agreement.

Unbeknownst to the pair, Kai was discreetly watching them, unsurprised that they couldn't see Kenny and Hilary's relationship coming, considering how much they were pussy-footing around each other. He chuckled to himself. _'Clueless.'_

* * *

"And here's the Top 10!" announced DJ Jazzman as the top bladers in the world rose up from the ground on pedestals, as the crowd went wild, shouting out their names.

The lights dimmed and a podium rose up in the middle of the stadium, carrying Mr. Dickenson. The BBA director cleared his throat and a hush fell over the audience. "Now that the top ten players have been determined, there's so few matches left before we declare the winner. So from now on, there will only be one battle going on at a time. We shall call out the beybladers for the next battle and while the match is taking place, the other players will have the choice to stay and watch the match or leave and prepare for their own match. Like the other matches, each pairing will be selected at random. Any questions?" His brown eyes darted to each of the contestants, each of them shaking their heads. "Then let the games begin!" The mega screen lit up each player's name before they started scrabbling across the screen. When it finally stopped, Tyson's eyes went wide.

"Maxie." he whispered.

Max was going up against Pam.

Ice blue met azure as the blondes stared each other down across the stadium, the tension solidifying the air.

* * *

"You got this Max!" encouraged Tyson as he clasped a hand around his friend's shoulder. They were now inside one of the private locker rooms in Phoenix Stadium, and the former Bladebreakers, plus Rick, were helping the American prepare for his match. "Just remember all of the people her and the rest of those creeps hurt. Don't let them get away with it."

"Not a chance. Draciel and I will win this." said the golden haired teen determinedly.

"Then perhaps I can be of assistance."

Everyone looked to the door and Max brightened. "Mom!" He rushed up to hug her.

"Hey sport." Mr. Tate appeared behind his wife.

"DAD!" Max rushed into his father's arms and looked up at him. "Don't you have a shop to run?"

"And miss my boy play? Not a chance." said Taro, ruffling his son's hair.

"We have something for you Maxie." said his mother, handing him a briefcase.

Perplexed, the Draciel-weilder sat down on the couch and opened it, his eyes lighting up when he saw what was inside. "No way!" He shouted, his mouth dropping in awe of the shinny new beyblade that greeted him. "But- the chief just made me a new blade..."

"We know that, but this one is _especially_ made for this match." explained Judy.

"Your mom got worried that this would happen, so she asked me to make a custom beyblade for you." said Taro.

Max picked up the blade and examined it closely. "Wait...is that rubber on the sides?"

"You bet!" confirmed his father proudly. "It's made to absorb high-voltage attacks so they don't do any damage to your blade or it's core."

"Wow! That's perfect!"

"Also..." Judy pulled out some strange green and blue cloth that looked a lot like a wetsuit from the bag she was holding. "This is a special rubber suit. It's durable, and like your beyblade, its meant to absorb high-voltage attacks."

Max accepted the suit with a huge smile plastered onto his face. "Thanks mom. Wow! You guys really do think of everything!"

"Anything for our little Maxie." said Taro. Max gave each of his parents a huge hug before leaving the room to go to the adjoined bathroom to change.

Kai looked at the couple suspiciously. "How did you know?"

"After Hiro was sent to the hospital after that lightning strike stopped his heart, Taro and I didn't want to take any chances. We immediately started working on the suit and beyblade, with some help from Emily and Kenny, of course." Judy smiled at Kenny, making everyone look at the nerd in shock.

 **"YOU KNEW?!"**

"Better to be safe than sorry."

"Alright guys, be honest..." came anxiety filled voice. "How much does this kill my chances with the ladies?" Max stepped out wearing the skin-tight suit. It was a dark green with blue accents on the torso, arms and legs, and in short...it left absolutely _nothing_ to the imagination. It clung to his 6-pack and well tone arms and legs like a second skin. His cheeks were flushed pink.

Rick and Ray stood there gaping like fishes.

Tyson snapped his fingers. "I got it!" He pushed Max back into the change room and disappeared with him. There was some shuffling, noises and grunts before they emerged 30 seconds later, with Max fully dressed wearing the turquoise shirt and black sweats he was wearing earlier.

"What happened to the suit?" asked Judy lifting an eyebrow.

"Hehehe, right here!" Tyson lift the shirt slightly to reveal the green fabric of the suit underneath. "It's gonna confuse the heck out of Pam!"

"Yeah, and I won't feel like an underwear model!" laughed Max in relief.

DJ Jazzman's voice came over the speakers. "5 minutes before the players need to be at the dish!"

"Guess that's my cue." said Max, placing his Draciel bit-chip into his new blade.

"You'll do great Max." said Rick.

"We all believe in you." added Ray.

The Water Master looked over at his former captain. "Any last words of wisdom?"

"Show that bitch how to really play this game."

* * *

Max and Pam met at the beydish. "Oh great. Another weakling. Listen little boy, just do yourself a favour and forfeit this match. You're not worth my time." the woman said nastily, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Well if you're scared, feel free to step down. I would hate for you to break a nail."

From down below, the entire audience heard Tyson say "Oh yeah Maxie! Show that clown-faced Barbie doll a lesson!"

Her eyebrow twitched in irritation. "Your friend is annoying."

"So is your voice." He said, loading his launcher.

DJ Jazzman sweat dropped. He was used to this kind of trash talking from Tyson or even Kai. Max was usually the nicest one of the bunch. Then again, he knew that the Bladebreakers would feel strongly about all the injuries and bullshit calls that had taken place in this tournament. (Yes, he had been refereeing enough beyblade events to know the judgement calls from the higher ups were a complete joke and blatant abuse of power.) Right now the American looked like he would rather launch his beyblade at her throat than at the beydish...the murderous look in those baby-blues was bone-chilling.

He cleared his throat. "Introducing, Forest Stadium! Players will show their skills trying to navigate their blades through the thick vegetation and river as they do battle!"

Seeing the beydish of tall trees surrounding a small lake in the centre made Max relax slightly. There were plenty of places Draciel could go to hide from Pam's lightning strikes. It was the perfect dish for a defensive player such as himself.

"Players ready?"

He gripped and aimed his launcher.

"3...2...1!"

"LET IT RIP!" screamed Max as his pulled the ripcord, releasing Draciel into the thick forest. He couldn't see his blade, and that was ok...he didn't need to. At this moment he was one with his spirit guardian.

Pam's purple blade landed on the rocks near the water. She glared at Max. "Fight me you coward!"

Max gave a saucy wink. "As you wish. Draciel now!"

The turtle bit-beast arised from the middle of the forest, grabbing a tree and hurling it at the purple blade.

From down below Kai eyed the purple blade, trying to remember where he had seen it before. He wracked his memory before his mind flashed back to the that day where he, Tyson and Kenny were down in his shipping facility "testing security". He clenched his fist. He looked back at the blade on the mega screen and there was no mistaking it; the blades were one and the same. This woman was the one who had broken into his company, attempted to assassinate Tyson and who had shot him in the shoulder. Since her bitbeast was an electric type, she probably used its power to short-circuit his security system to break in. There was a part of him that sorely wished that _he_ was the one who the one battling, just to teach the bitch a lesson. He took a deep breath.

This meant that Boris was responsible for Tyson's injury. He smirked. Oh his opponent would feel the full power of his wrath when it was his turn. For now though, he stepped closer to Tyson, his eyes scanning the audience for dangers. He would be _damned_ if he let any one of those creeps lay another hand on his beloved rival.

On the battlefront, Pam was running out of patience. "Raiju!" She called upon her bitbeast and a wolf, seemingly made out electricity, was summoned from her blade. Lightning sparkled around it, making the hairs on the back of Max's neck stand on end as the particles in the air were electrically charged. "Now it's my turn. **Electro Strike!** "

Bolts of lightning were released from the beast, shooting into the forest and in an instant flames started engulfing the trees- The only thing that was giving Draciel cover.

Mad had to do something. Using their bond, Max told Draciel to move closer to the water before launching his next attack. **"Tsunami Maestorm!"** His blade was able to manipulate the lake water to create a giant wave that washed over the entire forest, smothering the flames.

"Hahahaha, sloppy move. You've left yourself wide open!" Her blade attacked from behind, her bitbeast slamming into Draciel. The wolf hit Draciel with lightning, but it seemed to have no effect. "Hit him again Raiju!" Again Raiju attacked, and still Draciel held firm. "What the hell?!

"We figured out your little trick." said Max, smirking. "Look carefully at my blade Pam. Draciel is covered in rubber armour, meaning-"

"-My electric attacks won't be able to pierce through it." she said, hanging her head, her hair covering her face.

Confused by the action, Max asked, "Do you surrender then?"

A terrible smile split the woman's face and a high-pitched giggle escaped her lips, sending shivers up Max's spine. **"Never!"** Her bitbeast then turned around and launched an attack at _him_.

Max was barely able to put his arms up in time to shield his face from the attack, however the force of the attack set him off balance, he took a step backward and he could feel himself falling...

His fingers were able to catch the smooth, steal edge of the platform.

 **"MAX!"** His friends rush up and formed a circle underneath him, ready to catch him at a second's notice.

Max looked down and smiled as a feeling of nostalgia washed over him. Still, after so many years, so many tournaments, after being on both sides of the beydish...they were still a team. This realization gave him strength and he started to pull himself back onto the platform.

"Go Max!" Rick shouted from below.

"You can do it Max!" hollered Tyson.

"Show her who's boss!" yelled Ray.

Kai watched with pride as the blonde swung his leg over the edge and slowly brought himself to his feet. "Go Max!" he shouted.

Max glared at his opponent. "Ok, no more Mr. Nice Guy. DRACIEL!"

The mighty turtle roared and tackled Raiju to the ground, their blades grinding against each other as Pam stared at Max in shock. "How are you still breathing?! The voltage alone from those attacks should have been enough to incapacitate an army!" She looked at his torn clothes, surprised to see another layer underneath. Her blue eyes went wide. "Don't tell me-"

"A rubber suit? You bet. I'm going to take you down Pam!"

She grit her teeth, before a mad smile spread across her lips. "Then it's your funeral! RAIJU! _Finish him!"_ The bitbeast de-materialized from underneath the massive turtle.

From the ground, Kai could see what the woman was attempting to do. "MAX MOVE!"

But it was too late.

Pain exploded in Max's skull as lightning hit him directly, making his body convulse and his head pound and throb. Still his will was unshakable. As pain assaulted his senses, he screamed, "Draciel! **Water Whip!"** A rope of water wrapped around his exposed hand and he felt a refreshing coolness and felt much lighter as the lightning left his body, redirected by the water to go back into the ground. He was seeing double as he struggled to breathe. His entire body tingling, numb and just _so painful_. As he strained to focus, he saw that Pam's blade had almost completely stopped spinning.

Acting purely on willpower, he grunted, "Attack." using the last of his strength to knock Pam's blade out of the stadium.

Everything faded to black as he collapsed.

* * *

"Max! Max!"

Everyone looked at the descending platform in horror as they caught glimpse of the unconscious blader, Kai rushing forward ahead of the others, collecting the boy in his strong arms, searching for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when he found one. A strong one.

"Is he okay?" Rick asked with tears in his olive eyes.

"He's alive."

Rick delicately picked up the blonde. "You were so strong."

"Yeah he was." said Tyson, blinking back tears. He glanced over at Pam who was clearly shaken by her defeat running for the nearest exit. His eyes narrowed. "What should we do about her?"

"There's nothing we can do." said Ray bitterly. "She'll probably go running back to Boris. Let's forget about her and concentrate on Max."

Kai was about to go running after the woman himself, but he saw Spencer and Ian were already on it. They had risen out of their seats in the sands and were walking to the same exit. He decided it was best to let them deal with her for now, shifting his focus to his fallen friend.

* * *

Man, this thing was a huge pain in the ass to edit! I hope you all enjoyed and please leave a review!


	51. Chapter 51

**Disclaimer:**

 **Dear Heartless, Money-grabbing Jackasses (lawyers),**

 **Instead of doing something productive with your questionable career choice, like say, prosecuting**

 ** _rapists to ensure they get more than 3 months is prison,_ you're here on a FANFICTION website. In your hand is most likely a magnifying glass, bigger than your already colossal ego, looking through the fine print of each fanfiction story, trying to see if one of us broke-ass motherfuckers have the audacity to try making money off stealing another author's characters by either murdering or forcing them to preform coitus for our amusement.**

 **Kindly fuck off.**

 **...Unless your pants are around your ankles and you're strictly here for the porn...**

 **in that case carry on.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **~RPS**

So the reason why this chapter is late is pretty damn legitimate...I got into a car accident. Buddy rear-ended me while I was stopped and trying to change lanes because of construction. Currently I'm suffering from whiplash, and I've only taken one day off of work to deal with insurance and getting a rental.

The good news is that my daughter wasn't in the car with me and her dad is keeping her for the next few days until I'm feeling better. I'm also seeing a physiotherapist to help me through the pain for the next few months. More good news is that the whiplash isn't too bad. My back hurts, but its my neck that's been really causing me problems, like constant headaches. Plus my shoulder I sometimes want to saw off. I couldn't write for a little while after the accident because my brain was a bit jumbled from processing too much. Now, my brain is finally processing things a bit better and I can return to writing.

Also, if that weren't enough, I've started a new job and I'm basically working 6 days a week. That will only last for the next few months though, I'll be quitting one of the jobs come the new year.

I want to thank **Granger Rebellion** for really supporting me through this. She's been messaging me everyday, and listening to me cry and been an absolutely amazing best friend through all of this, even though she has enough shit of her own to deal with. Been totally a light in the darkness and someone I can always count on. She's a true friend. Please go read her stories. 3

Thank-you to HibarixTsunaxlover, Demons of the arch angel, Violet Hiwatari and Tyka's Flower for your reviews!

Enjoy chapter 51!

* * *

Space was tight as they were all crammed inside the emergency room, each of them fidgeting in their own ways as they waited anxiously for any word on Max's condition. It had been a lucky break for everyone that Hiro and Brooklyn were the ones that were drawn to battle next. Kenny and Hilary had stayed behind at the stadium to collect data from the match. There was luckily no more battles scheduled until tomorrow.

For Tyson though, a torrent of emotions waged war inside of him. Max had to be ok. He just had to be. He wouldn't let himself imagine what life would be without the cheerful blonde because _Max was going to pull through this._

A nudge brought him out of his thoughts and he looked up at Kai who nodded over to Rick who was sitting right across from them. Tyson's heart lodged into his throat; He had never seen the man look so broken. Rick's massive form was shaking, his lips trembling- he looked like he was about to fall apart at any second. Exchanging a look with Kai, Tyson knew what the Russian was hinting at. Without a word, the Dragoon-wielder slowly stood up and leaned on the wall next to the African-American. "Max will be fine."

"He got struck by lightning! How could you possibly know that?!" demanded Rick with tears gathering in his olive eyes.

"Because," The Champion paused and stared right into Rick's blood-shot eyes, "I know Max. He doesn't give up. When he walks out of here, he might need our support until he gets better, but we can do that. We need to be strong for him."

"Yeah." The massive man nodded and rubbed his misty eyes with the back of his hand. "I can do that."

Across the hallway Kai stood up from his chair. "Ray and I are going to the vending machines. Anyone want anything?"

"Coke for me!" said Tyson. "I SO need the caffeine right now."

Ray glanced over at Max's mother who was staring at the door anxiously, leaning against her husband who had his arm wrapped comfortingly around her narrow shoulders. "Coffee Judy?"

"Oh...what?" she asked absentmindedly.

"Coffee?"

"Oh. Yes please...Thank-you." She went back to staring.

"Same for me." said Mr. Tate, forcing a smile.

Kai and Ray left the group and once they we well out of ear-shot and in an empty stairwell, Kai grabbed Ray by the collar and slammed him against the wall. "Just what are you playing at Kon?!" he growled.

Ray's heart thudded against his ribcage as he stared at the Russian like he had suddenly lost his mind. "I don't know what you mean Kai!"

The Fire Master tightened his grip. "Look, it's not that difficult. Just pick one. They're both crazy over you and if you can't choose then do Max a favour and back off! Then, at least he can find happiness with someone else."

The neko-jin's eye's widened in realization. "You mean Rick..." He sighed and closed his eyes. "Apparently you haven't noticed it yet, but I have backed off. When Mariah fell of that platform and was bleeding out in my arms, that's when I knew I couldn't live without her."

"That's all I wanted to know." Kai released the Chinese male and turned around, "I hope you're happy with your decision."

Ray chuckled. "I knew you had a heart underneath all that ice. So when are you going to fess up to Tyson? He's not going to wait around forever you know."

"Hn. That's my business, it would be wise for you to stay out of it."

Angered, Ray balled up his fists. "So what gives you the right to press me for an answer when you have no intentions of doing the same?! For all you know someone can come and sweep Tyson off his feet in an instant and then what you will be left with, Kai?!" But when Kai turned around, Ray immediately wished he could take back his words; The death-glare that Kai was giving him was raw and filled with so much pain and anger. "K-Kai...I'm sorry."

"Get this straight Kon: All I want is Tyson to be happy. If some other guy came in and did that, then so be it. But if he ever hurt him, I would have the bastard begging for mercy before drowning him in Lake Baikal."

"Careful Kai, it's not wise to plan a murder out loud." Ray then smiled, flashing his canines, "But you know I would help you carry the body."

The Phoenix Master then gave the barest of smiles before they resumed descending down the stairs. A comfortable silence passed between them. Ray's statement had solidified their friendship. In the end, they would go to any lengths to help each other protect their loved ones, but they couldn't force each other to confess until they were ready.

When they returned, a very shaken doctor emerged from the operating room. Everyone stared at him curiously, as his hair and clothes were soaking wet. The doctor glanced at the group nervously. "C-can I speak to Judy and T-Taro Tate?"

The parents stepped forward. "What is it doctor?" asked the mother, fearing the worst.

His green eyes glanced around the room. "Can we talk in private?"

"Whatever you have to say, you can say it to everyone here...they're all family." said Taro, gesturing to the group.

The doctor sighed. "Very well then. So, by some miracle, despite being struck by lightning...Max is fine." There was a collective sigh of relief from around the room. "But the lightning strike appears to have caused some other...shall we say _unique_ side-effects."

"How so doctor?" asked Judy.

"I think you need to come see for yourself." The group followed the healthcare professional into the Operating Room and jaws dropped in shock.

Max was in a sphere of water, his body was curled up and he appeared to be cowering from a doctor who wanted to give him an injection.

Surprisingly, Tyson was the first to figure out just what was going on. "That's wicked Max! Raiju's lightning attack unlocked the powers that you share with Draciel!"

 **"SAY WHAT?!"**

Max looked at his water shield. "Oh. So that's what happened."

"Yes. The powers connect strongly with your emotions, right now you feel scared so the water is behaving like a shield." explained Kai, remembering his anger when he burned Kusenov's men.

The doctor holding the syringe backed away and Max's shield dissipated. "Sweet." Max said in awe before looking over to his parents, "Does this mean I can go home now?"

Misa Tsubana was organizing patient files when she caught glimpse of "Alexander" and "Takao" leaving with some people that she recognized that were in the waiting room with Takao when Alexander came in covered in blood. Concerned, she asked her friend Marlowe if he knew why they were there.

"I have no fucking clue. I just heard one of the nurses come out of O.R. three saying something about lightning and a weird kid who can control water." He threw his arms up into the air. "I quit! I'm so fucking done with this place Misa. It's so weird!"

Misa giggled, knowing her friend wouldn't actually quit. She cast her eyes to the door where the group was exiting and wondered if she would ever see the strange teenagers again.

* * *

They arrived back at the stadium just in time to watch Hiro's blade be knocked out of the stadium, and Kai couldn't help but smirk as he watched the arrogant blader sink to his knees in defeat. He wondered briefly if Hiro would make Brooklyn sleep on the couch that night in retaliation.

"And Brooklyn wins the match, giving Hiro his second strike of the tournament!" The audience cheered, and from the sounds of things, they had missed an awesome battle. "This concludes the matches for the day, but first thing tomorrow Ray and Eric will be pitted against each other- You won't want to miss it!" announced DJ Jazzman.

Ray stared up at the mega-screen where his picture and Eric's were standing side-by-side. Narrowing his eyes, his muscles tensed as he felt all eyes land on him.

"So Ray, are you up for this?" he heard Kai ask.

Clenching his Drigger blade, he said "Yeah, but there's one thing I gotta do first." He turned to his friends, a serious expression etched on his handsome features. "I need to go to the next level. I need to unlock my powers with Drigger!"

* * *

"C'mon guys, let's do it one more time...Let it RIP!" Ray launched his blade once more and Tyson and Max charged, knocking it out of the dish. Ray sunk to his knees and punched the ground in anger. "Arg! Why can't I do it?!"

' _Why indeed?'_ Kai thought to himself. Ray had been training ever since they left the stadium, and while his skill level increased, he was no closer in creating that bond with Drigger. His closed his eyes and pondered as they started again.

Tyson was the first of them to display any of his powers, back with his battle with Brooklyn at the BEGA tournament- but that was hardly a surprise. Tyson and Dragoon always had such a deep and strong bond that it really didn't come as a shock to anyone when the World Champion took flight into the war torn sky. But...the Russian furrowed his eyebrows...When did Tyson get the power to control the very air itself? Recalling the day he and Tyson had escaped Boris and Gideon, he remembered when they were in the lab and the beyblades were launched at them in all directions to prevent them from leaving. Tyson had created a whirlwind out of nothing.

Goosebumps ran up his arms and he gripped his elbows in anger. Boris must've done something to trigger Tyson's powers while he was unconscious.

He then thought about when he had unlocked his own- Tyson's shaky voice urging him to run as a gun was pressed against his temple. _The pure rage he had felt in that moment._

Max triggering his powers may have not been accidental- he had nearly died.

That's when it finally dawned on him. In each of their cases, they were all under extreme emotional duress. Kai chewed on his bottom lip and glanced at Ray... _What could make the usually level-headed neko-jin snap?_ He thought about Mariah, but even when the girl was dying in his arms, Ray was busy thinking logically to solve the problem.

...So what if they created a problem that Ray couldn't solve with just logic alone and get him emotionally fired enough to tap into Drigger's power?

Ruby eyes narrowed as the answer came to the forefront of his mind...and he immediately thought against it. Minutes ticked by as he wracked his brain trying to come with another solution, but time was against them. Unfortunately, his plan had to go flawlessly or else he would lose more than just a friend.

* * *

"Why have you dragged me way out here at 3:00 in the morning Kai? I have a match in just a few hours."

"You want to be able to tap into Drigger's power don't you?"

"Yeah, but I don't see how walking through the city at the dead of night is going to accomplish that." grumbled Ray.

 **"RAY KON!"** A booming voice cut and echoed into the night air, making both bladers look up. Way up high was cloaked masked figure standing on top of a sky scrapper, in his hands were thick silver chains and- Ray's heart rose into his throat- Mariah and Lee were hanging from those chains on opposite sides of the building, their bodies swaying in the wind. Angry amber eyes darted to the masked figure. "Let them go!"

"Gladly." The man let go of the chains and both hostages plummeted.

 **"STOP!"** At once the masked figure gripped the chains and the victims stopped their descent. "Okay, you have my attention! What do you want?!"

"We're going to play a game Ray Kon. I'm going to let them go again and you're going to pick which one you're going to save. Oh, and if your friend decides to help you in anyway..." A bullet was shot at the ground just mere inches from where Kai was standing. "There will be another body. I'll give you 10 seconds to decide. 10..."

Ray broke into a sweat. No matter which one he chose, he was basically killing someone. If he chose Mariah, she would probably hate him forever for letting her brother die. If he chose Lee, he would hate him for not choosing Mariah instead, proclaiming he would rather have died and be spared the pain of losing her. Either way...the guilt would destroy him.

"8..."

"Wait!" he pleaded. "Leave both of them alone and kill me instead!"

The man paused his countdown. "God, you're predictable. 6..."

Ray was sent into a blind panic. No matter what he did, someone would die. What could he do?!

"2..."

This was it...he had to make a choice.

"1..."

Everything was happening in slow motion. As he watched both of his friends fall, he sprinted towards Mariah first. Maybe...just maybe...he could save them both. His heart racing, he picked up his speed. He pumped his energy into his legs, moving them impossibly faster when he suddenly felt Drigger's warm power flow through him- giving him strength- giving him SPEED! He ran as fast as he could, catching Mariah in his arms, before running to the other side of the building, grabbing Lee by his collar just before his body hit the ground.

"I don't believe it."

 _Was that-_ "Tala?" Ray looked up to watch Tala jump down from on of the buildings with a sniper riffle in his hands. "What the-"

"Sunshine said you could do it, but we didn't believe him." said the mysterious figure as he jumped down from the skyscraper. He removed his mask.

"Bryan?!" Ray's eyes narrowed until they were nothing more than slits, as he gently placed Mariah and Lee on the ground, his hand reaching for his launcher. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I figured out that our powers only activated when we were under extreme emotional stress." Kai said, walking up to the Chinese man.

If looks could kill Kai would've died several times over with the amount of pure hatred that was pouring out of Ray's irises. "So you thought putting my friends in danger was the best way to do it?!"

"But Ray, we were never really in danger." said Mariah softly.

"Yeah." Lee agreed. "Tyson has been here the whole time, if anything had gone wrong, he would have caught us."

Tyson stepped out from the shadows, rubbing his nose with his index finger and a cocky smile, "What's up Ray?"

Ray's face softened. "So...no one was ever in danger?"

"No. Kai and the others called us up with this crazy plan. Mariah and I were sceptical at first, but we did a couple of trial runs to make sure that everything would work out in the end." explained Lee.

"Oh." The edges of his vision began to blacked and Ray wobbled on his legs and lost his balance, but Lee reached out and caught him.

"Your body isn't used to such power. That's going to happen a few times, until you gain full control of your powers." explained the dual-haired Russian.

"Yeah, it's probably best if we carry him home guys." confirmed Tyson.

Ray opened his eyes weakly. "By the way guys...what exactly did I do?"

Tyson grinned. "You just ran around an entire skyscraper in less than 0.00001 of a second. You're basically The Flash, dude."

* * *

And another chapter done! So there! All the Bladebreakers have their powers now! Leave a review and I'll try to have the next chapter up pronto!


	52. Chapter 52

Disclaimer: My latest attempt to kidnap Takao Aoki has been unsuccessful, therefore I still don't own the rights to Beyblade.

Hello everyone! Happy Thanksgiving from here in Canada!

So after careful thought...I have decided since my writing time has been severely cut in half (with 2 jobs, parenting and physiotherapy appointments) that I will ONLY be working on finishing Borderline and a few one-shots from now until January. Once the new year comes, then I will make a new writing schedule. I have no idea how I'm functioning to be honest...but I'll still be here :) The next 3 months is just gonna be super hectic. So bare with me. :) Kai's Poetry Journal might get a few updates...just because poetry isn't nearly as time consuming.

Thank-you to HibarixTsunaxlover, Tyka's Flower, Angel Devastation and CorynOfHoole for being such supportive reviewers and to all my readers who keep coming back to read the next chapter. I love and appreciate you all!

Warnings: I think this chapter is gonna be pretty tame actually. Yay!

* * *

"Good morning Beyblade Fanatics! Today we have three epic matches for your entertainment as we finish up round 9 of the tournament! First up we have a veteran beyblader and former member of the two-time world champion team "The Bladebreakers"...Give it up for Ray!" The Chinese blader stepped out into the light, with the former Bladebreakers behind him, and the crowd went wild! Some of them even holding up signs that said ' _Marry Me Ray!_ _'_ _._

"And in this corner, the destructive newcomer, the man who defeated the World Champion himself...we have Eric!" The Norwegian stepped into the arena and the stadium erupted into a sea of 'Boos'. Some audience members went so far to call him a cheater.

DJ Jazzman sweat dropped. It was clear to see who the crowd favourite was. He glanced over at Kai. He remembered when the Russian shouted at the audience when they booed at Max in the last world championship, half expecting him to do so now. But the Hiwatari stood stoic, glowering at Eric. It seemed that he would sooner join the audience than to tell them to shut-up...Okay then...

Down on the ground, Tyson was focusing his attention on his friend. "He ain't so tough Ray. Your new blade can handle whatever ugly throws at you."

Ray stared down at his 'Heaven Blade' then smiled at his friends. "Don't worry guys, I'm going to put that hot-shot back in his place." He stepped up onto the platform.

"Be careful Ray!" said Max as the raven haired blader ascended to the dish.

Ray flashed him a smile and gave him a thumbs-up. "I've got this Maxie!" He stepped up to the dish where Eric was waiting for him, with a hand on his hip and a smirk plastered onto his face.

"Hehehehehe, you should really take your friend's advice, Kon, because I'm going to crush your blade, then I'll do the same to you." chuckled the maniacal blonde.

Keeping his nerve, Ray calmly readied his blade. "You can go ahead and try, but you're no match for Drigger and I." Good. His opponent was cocky. Over-confident players made mistakes.

"And now we bring on the dish!" From the ground emerged a dish that was almost completely filled with water, save for the seemingly random placed stones in the centre. While it maybe any rookie's worst nightmare, Ray was already coming up with a strategy on how to take advantage of his surroundings.

"Players take your positions!" Eric and Ray carefully aimed their launchers...this was not the dish to have a bad launch. "3...2...1! LET IT RIP!"

"Go Drigger!" Shouted Ray as he pulled his ripcord, lightning sparks shot out of his blade with just the sheer power of his launch. His and Eric's blades skipped over the water's surface, clashing together on the stone in the middle before skipping over the water's surface one more and landing on stones on opposite sides of the dish.

"You're power Kon, but make no mistake, I'll rip your blade to shreds like I did with Dragoon." said Eric as he chuckled dangerously, "Let's see how you fair when you have **two** elements against you!" The wind shifted and several small water cyclones formed and encircled the small white blade. "Behold my bitbeast's power! Hawkeye Attack!"

The small cyclones closed in on Drigger, and Ray was in awe of the control Eric had over his bitbeast's wind powers. He needed to get out of the circle of death-and fast! "Yo Ray!" He looked over his shoulder and saw Max waving his arms from down below. "Don't fight it! Just go with the flow!"

 _Go with the flow?_ What did that mean? Eyeing one of the twisters, he studied the way it moved, particularly the way the water was flowing. The answer dawned on him! "Alright Drigger! Let's ride out this monsoon!" Increasing it's rotation, Drigger charged at one of the twisters. It was easily swept up, but Ray remained cool, concentrating on channelling his power into Drigger to keep the blade spinning. In result, Drigger rode up the stream of spiralling water, soon being launched into the air and escaping the death trap and landing safely on a tiny stone on the other side of the beydish. "Nice work buddy, now it's our turn! **Lightning Paw!"** Ray and Drigger combined their powers and a web of lightning was produced from the White Tiger's blade. It rippled over the water, heating the water until it was boiling hot and soon a thick steam was all around the arena.

"Hey, what gives?!" demanded Daichi, "I can't see anything!"

"Neither can Eric. Ray has created a smoke cover, protecting Drigger from all of Hawkeye's attacks." explained Tyson with a grin.

"But what good does that do?! Ray can't see anything either!" pointed out the red-head.

"Ray isn't a normal blader." Everyone turned to where they could hear Kai's voice.

"How do you mean?" asked Daichi.

"Those eyes of his allow him to see more than most. He's fine-tuned his instincts so just by sound alone, he can pinpoint where exactly the blades are. Ray is in total control of this match."

"If you say so." said Daichi as he squinted through the fog, hoping to catch a glimpse of the match.

"Relying on cheap tricks now, Kon?" bated Eric.

"Just showing you what a player with **real** skill can do! **Drigger Howling Claw!** " Through the mist, with his sharp eyes, Ray watched his blade start moving so fast, that it evolved into 16 blades and they started ruthlessly slamming into Eric's Hawkeye blade viciously.

Listening to the sounds of his blade getting pounded over and over made Eric's rage bubble over. "Arg! This is the end for you! Wind Str- What?!" The sounds had stopped. He couldn't even hear his own blade spinning anymore.

The mist finally cleared and Drigger was left spinning while Hawkeye was in pieces.

What happened?!

Down on the stadium floor, a certain beyblade mechanic smiled to himself. ' _That one was from me, Boris.'_

Ray blinked. He had actually won? It had seemed too easy... Shrugging it off, he retrieved his blade and walked proudly to where his friends were waiting.

"You sure showed him Ray!" cheered Max.

"I don't think I could have won without you Max, I thought he had me when he summoned all those cyclones."

Max winked. "Anytime buddy."

"So now what?" asked Ray turning to his friends.

"Hey Jazzy!" shouted Tyson, "Wanna call the next match so we can get this show on the road here? Some of us want to catch the lunch buffet!"

"Well um..." The announcer looked up to Mr. Dickenson, who was sitting up in the stands, for permission. The chairman nodded his head in approval. Jazzman then pulled out a sealed envelope from his pocket. "The judges have picked the pairing for the next match and it's..." He carefully opened the envelop. "Kai versus William! Get ready for this fire vs fire match! Players have 30 minutes to prepare!"

"Fire vs Fire?!" exclaimed Ray narrowing his eyes, "That's going to be dangerous, no matter how you look at it."

Nothing Kai can't handle, right buddy?" Tyson asked his rival with a grin.

"Hn." The Fire Master's calloused fingers clenched around the sharp edges of his blade. He would make sure that his Phoenix's flames would burn bright so that everyone could see what happens when you cross Kai Hiwatari.

"After all, you still want a shot at my title, right?" teased the bluenette.

As if he needed any more motivation to take down one of Boris' bladers. This was his chance to personally deal out payback for everything Boris had put him through.

"Hey Kai, looks like you have company." said Max, pointing to the stands. Kai's gaze followed the American's finger and his eyes widened as a small smile graced his lips. His mother and Dimitri were there. He caught her eye and she smiled down on him proudly. He then noticed something else- Dimitri's arm was wrapped around her shoulders...and she was actually allowing it.

Were they...?

"Hey, this is the first match your mom has ever come to isn't it?" asked Max.

Kai's eyes widened in realization. This _was_ the first match...

Seeing the stunned look on the Russian's features, Tyson stepped forward. "Well there you have it. Your family and friends are behind you, we're all gonna be cheering you on Kai. Just send this amateur packing!"

Kai looked at his friends in astonishment. They had been through so much the last 5 years. So many times he had betrayed them, but like always, they stood beside him. Choosing to put their faith in him and believing in him until the bitter end. "Hn, William won't know what him him!"

* * *

"Players take your positions!"

William would be lying if he said he wasn't afraid. Kai Hiwatari was the only person to escape Balkov Abbey. Rumours had flown around about the red-eyed demon who could fight off a hundred men, and had defeated a thousand blades. Kai Hiwatari had broken record after record while he was a student and they had studied all of his matches carefully. The man was a tactical genius. He was able to change his battle tactics in the middle of a match and his endurance was legendary.

However, losing was not an option. Boris and Dr. K had made that perfectly clear. With both Pam and Eric knocked out of the tournament, it was up to him and Alceed to win. There was too much at stake for him to lose this battle, even if it was against the Phoenix Master.

Taking a breath he gathered his wits, took his stance and readied his launcher and looked into his opponent's eyes.

Big mistake.

Blood-red rubies burned with a glare so caustic, that William was surprised he didn't burst into flames on the spot. The Phoenix Master's hate seemed to be poisoning the very air itself as he slowly, purposefully, loaded his beyblade launcher. "I hope you have drawn up a will, because when this is over-" His eyes flashed red and a crazed smile twisted his features. "-They will need to stuff you into a body bag."

Fear made the Norwegian lose control of his bladder. Now fearing for his life, William threw his launcher to the ground and jumped off the 50 ft platform, then stumbled towards the exit, leaving the building; Leaving everyone to stare after him.

Jazzman was the first to recover. "WOAH! This is a first! The Mighty Kai has just won by a death glare!"

Tyson sweat dropped and scratched his head. "Um...well that was easy."

The Hiwatari crossed his arms. "Coward." He rode the platform back down to the ground where he was met with his friend's dumbfounded faces.

Max laughed. "We I have never seen that before."

"Yeah, way to win Kai!" praised Ray.

DJ Jazzman was still in shock. He knew that Kai had a temper, but the look he gave William was nothing short of murderous. He had no idea what was exactly going on in this tournament, but as usual, the Bladebreakers were at the heart of all of the chaos. There was only one thing left to do now- call the next match. "That just leaves Tyson and Alceed to compete in the next battle! Players, you have 15 minutes!"

Tyson narrowed his stormy eyes at the sound of his name and growled when he remembered what the Ice-Wielder had done to Max. "He's going to regret ever crossing blades with me."

Hiro eyed his brother wearily. "Keep your temper in check Tyson. With only one strike left, you can't afford to make any mistakes."

The younger bluenette patted his brother's shoulder. "Don't worry. I learned my lesson last time. I'm going to show them how this game is really played."

Hiro was about to ask what he meant by that, but he saw the raw, determined fire burning in the Wind Master's eyes as he turned away and he smiled behind his steel mask. That was the face of a true champion. One who could not only battle for his honour, but for those of his comrades and opponents as well. Tyson walked with his back straight and his head held high. There wasn't anyone in the world who could stop him in this mindset.

Kai however saw something completely different. The air around the Dragoon Weilder seemed heavy and dangerous. Tyson looked calm, but Kai could see the emotions raging behind those brown eyes. The question was; Was that anger going to be Tyson's edge or downfall? "Kinomiya!" His voice was just sharp enough to make the bluenette stop in his tracks and turn around.

"Yeah Kai?"

"I expect to see you in the finals."

A grin worked itself onto Tyson's features. "Yeah, I'll see you there Kai." He turned back down and strutted towards the dish, but the tension in his shoulders didn't seem to lessen at all.

Kai frowned. _**This is my problem, not yours.**_

* * *

The World Champion approached the dish with a confident, but unforgiving smirk. "Not going to run away on me, like your buddy did right?"

Alceed chuckled before glaring. "No. I'm not weak like him."

"Good, because we have unfinished business." Tyson pulled out his blade and loaded his launcher.

"Much." Alceed agreed, readying his own blade.

As the two opponents glared daggers at each other, DJ Jazzman found himself wishing he had found some other career to pursue- like knitting. In fact, he rather be half way up an elephant's asshole than be between these two bladers. Trying to brace himself for anything, he revealed the dish. "Alright! What we have for you today is our Ice Palace dish!" The beydish rose up from the ground. "The ice on this baby will make it difficult for the players to control their blades at high speeds."

Tyson gawked at the tower with disdain. "Of course the beydish would be made to give him the advantage." He said bitterly before rubbing his nose. "Heh, no biggie. I won my first championship on a dish way scarier than this. Takes more than a little ice to scare the world's number one blader." he said cockily.

"Oh, and did I mention the icicles?" added the referee.

"I-Icicles?" questioned Tyson.

"Observe!" DJ Jazzman loaded his black beyblade into his launcher and pulled the ripcord. His blade circled around the blade twice, when sharp spears of ice suddenly shot out from all side of the dish, his blade shattered in an instant.

Tyson eyed the fragment that landed near his foot and gritted his teeth. This was not going to be easy. Not only did he have to worry about the ice spears that Alceed's bitbeast produced, but now he had the dish working against him as well. "Heh, Dragoon and I aren't scared of a little ice. Let's show this freak whose boss!"

* * *

And that's all for this week! Hope you guys are ready for the next exciting chapter! Don't forget to leave a little review!


	53. Chapter 53

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my soul.

Holy shit, did I actually get an update done on time?! Looks like this new writing schedule might just work out after all...

Thank-you to Tyka's Flower, Violet Hiwatari, beygirl1234 and Laharl!

Warnings: Nothing you guys can't handle.

* * *

"3!"

He adjusted the grip on his launcher.

"2!"

He parted his feet just a little further apart and closed his eyes.

"1!"

Breathe. Concentrate. Just play the game.

"LET IT RIP!"

With his blood boiling, Tyson pulled the blue ripcord with all of his might – A deadly mistake. Dragoon hit the dish too fast and too hard, resulting in the ice crumbling under such velocity and leaving a path of destruction in its wake.

Beybladers and fans alike winced at the rookie move.

"What's going on? Tyson never has a launch that bad this late into a tournament." observed Max.

"His anger is clouding his judgement." All eyes were on Hiro as his calculating eyes caught every miniscule movement that his brother made. "He's so focused on winning, he's actually losing."

"Oh no!" Ray gasped.

"Is there anything he can do to turn things around?" asked Hilary.

"It's possible, but in the end, the outcome of the match depends on Tyson. SO there is nothing we can do but to wait and see."

Concerned crimson eyes looked up at the baseball-capped teen. _**You're better than this Tyson.**_

Up on the platform, sweat was trickling down the 17 year old's face as his blade finally corrected itself so that it was spinning smoothly on the cool surface of the beydish. He took a breath and sighed in relief.

Alceed sneered. "Some World Champion you are. What was that you were saying about this being 'no big deal'?"

"So what if I messed up on my launch a little? Dragoon is still spinning and when this is over, you'll be able to fit what's left of your blade in a matchbox!"

The audience cheered and Max laughed. "Gotta hand it to the guy; There's not many players who can recover from that and still be talking smack."

"That's because no one has an ego as big as Tyson's." murmured Kenny.

Just as Tyson was getting confident about Dragoon spinning on the slippery surface, one of the ice spears shot up from the ground, right in front of his blade. "Woah!" He forced Dragoon to preform a 90 degree left turn on the spot, only to have another icicle shoot up and block his path. He quickly veered his blade right, when another ice spear darted out from the side, taking a chunk out of Dragoon's attack ring.

Alceed grinned. "Now I have you! Sharkeye, **Ice cage!** " His bitbeast arose from the turquoise blade and it's teeth transformed into gigantic, thick, pillars of ice which enclosed the white blade in a prison of ice.

Remembering that Alceed had used this move to defeat Kai, Tyson's breath hitched, "Oh no."

Alceed's face split into a menacingly grin. **"Crush!"**

"He's going to destroy Dragoon!" Max exclaimed.

"In the same way he destroyed mine." growled Kai as panic started to settle in.

Dragoon was trapped. Worse, it was going to be _destroyed_ if he couldn't break out of the icy prison. Tyson closed his eyes in frustration. This was all Boris' fault! Had he just left them alone, none of this would be happening! As his mind started the torture the priest had put him through, Dragoon started to lose spin.

 **"KINOMIYA!"**

Brown eyes snapped open and Tyson looked down at his rival, who was glaring at him with clear disappointment in his eyes. "Wake-up and get your head in the game! You didn't beat me like this and you won't beat him either!"

Tyson's eyes widened in realization and he bowed his head.

"Hehehehehe. Are you giving up?" asked Alceed, his green eyes gleaming with a predatory look.

"He's right. I'm the World Champion and it's about time I started blading like one." The wind shifted and burning mahogany eyes pierced right into the ice-wielder's soul. "I have a promise to keep. **DRAGOON!"** His blade picked up speed. **"Miracle Tempest!"** A great spiral of wind erupted from his blade and shattered the ice.

"H-How did you do that? No one escapes the ice cage! No ONE!" The ice-wielder screeched.

"Yeah well there's a first for everything." smirked the champion.

"Arg! Damn you! **ICE DAGGER!** " Frozen spears of ice appeared around Dragoon and launched themselves at the white blade, only to shatter before they made contact. "WHAT?!"

Tyson grinned. "Pretty sweet, huh? It's a move inspired by my buddy Bryan. A wind shield that destroys anything that comes in contact with it."

"That's brilliant!" exclaimed Kenny, as he analyzed the wind shield on his laptop. "He's mastered the destructive powers of Dragoon Storm Heart and concentrated them into a single sphere."

Kai smirked. There was the stubborn-brat he had fallen for.

"We'll see about that. **ICE STORM!** " Thousands of tiny daggers appeared in the sky and rained down on the white blade, but when the dust settled, Dragoon remained spinning. Alceed took a step back in shock. "I don't believe this!"

"Hey, pass along as message to Boris for me: No matter how many times he comes after me or my friends, we will always find a way to win! Dragoon! **Storm Revelation!** "

"Arg! Sharkeye! **Cold Execution!** "

As the final attacks clashed and the wind and ice elements collided, a huge sub-zero cyclone was produced. Tyson held onto his hat as he looked up at the huge storm. "Let's go Dragoon! Let's finish this!"

Sitting on the edge of their seats, the crowd wait for the winds to die down. After what felt like an eternity, the dust and snow settled and Dragoon was revealed to be the one left spinning, with Alceed's blade laying motionless beside it- completely frozen in a block of ice.

"And the winner is Tyson!" DJ Jazzman announced joyfully, and a thunder of applause followed, with the spectators chanting Tyson's name.

Tyson revealed in the glory for a moment before coming down on the platform. As soon as he touched the bottom, both Kenny and Max pulled him into a hug.

"You did it! You did it! You defeated Alceed!" cheered the brunette.

"See? No sweat Chief!" said the 17 year old, grinning before glancing at his rival. "Right Kai?"

"Hn. Your launch was sloppy."

"Hey! I still beat him didn't I?!"

"By the skin of your teeth."

As the pair argued, Hiro Kinomiya realized that it was only because Kai was able to snap some sense into his brother, that Tyson won that match at all. He eyed the Hiwatari. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all...

* * *

Later that night, after Kai had finished making dinner, the dual-haired teen came into the living room and caught Tyson fiddling with Dragoon. "What's wrong?" he asked, setting the plate of stir-fry in front of him.

"Nothing." dismissed the bluenette, picking up his chopsticks. "Mmmmm, sure smells good!"

"Cut the bullshit Tyson. I've known you long enough to know when you're worried about something." Kai caught Tyson's eye, leaving his expression unguarded.

Tyson dropped his gaze down to his plate and relenting, sighing. "It's just Boris. We haven't seen the last of him."

Kai sighed. This nightmare was far from over for them. "You should've let me drop him."

It was Tyson's turn to sigh. "I know, I know. I just really thought that he would man up and admit defeat." He took a bite of his dinner. "What do you think he's up to now?"

"Knowing him, nothing good." muttered the Russian. He watched as an uneasy expression come over the younger's face. "But you need to stop torturing yourself. There's nothing more that you can do. The others are safe and we'll keep it that way."

Tyson gave his roommate a weak smile. "Thanks Kai."

Kai gave a small smile in return, but on the inside he was raging. Boris had gotten off way too easy this time, with his bladers taking his punishment. If the fucker was smart, he wouldn't come near them again, because next time, Kai wouldn't hesitate to shoot- regardless of what Tyson said.

* * *

*Looks through notes* Really? That's it for this chapter?

Please reveiw! We're almost to end!


	54. Chapter 54

Disclaimer: How much do the rights of beyblade cost anyway?

Yeah, yeah, I know. Updates are taking forever. I'm trying!...Okay, I'll try harder. The good news is that I quit my second job, so I have a lot more time for writing. I also have started working on a new project for you all to read sometime in the new year.

Thank-you to HibarixTsunaxlover, Tyka's Flower and Laharl (who tracked me down on facebook) for reviewing, and to everyone who has been reading this story.

 **I believe that there is only 6 chapters left of Borderline left! It should be 60 chapters total. MAYBE 61. Depends on how everything works out with editing and I need to re-write one of the chapters. My goal is to have this story finished by Christmas for you all. Hope you enjoy the ride!**

WARNINGS: Nothing for this chapter.

* * *

"Welcome to Phoenix Stadium where the semi-finals are about to begin! All players are down to their last strike!"

Kai eyed Brooklyn. "Didn't you have 2 left?"

The ginger shrugged. "Thought it would be more interesting this way."

Kai was torn between being thankful that there was less bladers that he had to cut down to have his battle with Tyson, or annoyed that Brooklyn would throw away such a huge advantage, like it was nothing more than yesterday's garbage. Before he could decide, Jazzman continued.

"Alright players, let's see what fate has in store for us today!" Everyone turned their heads toward the mega-screen as player's names were scrambled. The seconds seemed to tick past like years as the roulette slowly came to a stop. "So it's:

Max vs Ray  
Brooklyn vs Tyson  
Hiro vs Kai"

Kai locked eyes with Hiro and everyone within a 10 foot radius could feel the tension as the veterans silently murdered each other in their heads.

"Oh man." said Tyson looking between the two males, feeling the hatred radiating off their bodies. Terrified that his brother would suddenly burst into flames on the spot, he looked up at the ref. "Yo Jazzy! Can Kai and Hiro settle their match first?"

"Yeah!" piped up Max, eyeing the males warily. "Ray and I don't mind if they go first...honest!"

DJ Jazzman looked down to see what had _Tyson_ of all people volunteering to go last, when he saw Kai and Hiro glowering at each other, looking like they were about to tear each other's heads off. Max, Ray and Tyson were all looking up at him with pleading eyes.

Oh he wasn't stupid.

If Kai had it in that badly for a player, it was way better to get the beybattle out of the way instead of letting the dual-haired male stew in his anger. What was curious to him though was that Kai's anger was directed at Hiro of all people. From everything he had witnessed this tournament, Kai and Tyson seemed to be on better terms than usual. He had even heard a rumour that the sworn rivals were now living together...but he couldn't see how any of that would involve Tyson's brother. He vaguely remembered that in the last tournament Kai had launched a beyblade at Hiro's head for benching Tyson, but he couldn't still be upset about that...could he?

"As requested by the other participants, Kai and Gin of the Gale will go first! Both players have 5 minutes to make any necessary modifications to their blades before they must report to the beydish!"

Tyson was at a loss for words as he watched both his best friend and his only brother calmly turn their backs to each other and walk towards the opposite sides of the beydish. Their heads were held high, their strides long and purposeful. They rode the platforms up to the dish and readied their launchers. They locked eyes once more and the air itself seemed to crackle with the intensity in which they were glaring at each other. The stadium fell quiet as the spectators slid to the edge of their seats, wondering just what they were about to bear witness to.

Hiro was the first to break the silence. "I think it's safe to say that we both want to battle Tyson in the finals."

"Hn. Not me. Right now all I want is to see you on your knees, admitting your defeat to me." Kai said evenly.

"Getting lost in your fantasies again, Kai?" Hiro bated, "You had best get your head back into reality if you hope to spare your blade."

"Hn. Now whose the one dreaming?"

DJ Jazzman braced himself for what he was sure was going to be a rough battle as he started the countdown. "3...2...1! Let it rip!"

Black and navy blurs whizzed out of their respected launchers and collided in the centre of the beydish, then circled each other. Kai made the first move.

Metal Dranzer dodged the attack easily and came at Dranzer from the side. The blue blade narrowly avoided the charging black blade before executing a counter attack, which Metal Dranzer evaded.

Tyson watched as the two blades furiously dodged each one of the other's blows. "Wow!" He glanced up at the clock. "It's been 10 whole minutes and neither one of them has landed a hit yet?!"

Ray closely studied the blades' movements. "Their technique is flawless!"

"Yeah, but at this rate one of them will end up burning themselves out and running out of steam." said Max.

"I'm not so sure about that." said Kenny as he analyzed the battle.

Tyson glanced over at the beyblade mechanic. "What do you mean Chief?"

"Both of their beyblades have been modified for endurance. Between their bitbeasts and their sheer willpower, it really comes down to who makes a mistake first. Because from the looks of it," they all looked up at the pair—neither of them had even broken out into a sweat! "both of them have energy to burn."

* * *

Kai was really starting to get irritated. He knew that his opponent was just toying with him. It was time to get serious.

The audience watched as Metal Dranzer hit Dranzer – HARD. Collectively they gasped as they watched the navy blade be thrown across the dish. Tyson's heart stopped as he watched Dranzer's tip go over the edge of the dish. Everyone's eyes were glued to the mega-screen as the blade flew into the air, arching over the dish and land on the opposite side, before nailing Metal Dranzer from behind.

"YEAH! GO KAI!" Tyson screamed, jumping out of his seat as the black blade was knocked to the other side of the dish.

"Woah! That was genius!" gasped Kenny as he observed Dranzer's increased rotation. "Kai purposely let Metal Dranzer hit him so that Dranzer could absorb his energy. He has the upper hand now!"

Hiro was impressed with his opponent's quick thinking and manipulation skills. The Phoenix Master knew what his weaknesses were and how to get around them.

"Go Dranzer!" The blue blade went on the attack again, striking the black blade with a frenzy of violent attacks.

"Way to show him Kai!" Tyson cheered.

"Don't get too excited Tyson." warned Max.

Tyson turned to look at his friend. "Huh?"

"Look at Metal Dranzer. The attacks aren't doing any damage. Hiro is just feeding off the energy that Kai is attacking him with."

"What?!" The bluenette stood up from his seat. "C'mon Kai! You have to face me in the finals remember?!"

Kenny smiled, amused that Tyson hadn't shown any support for his brother at all in this match.

* * *

From the sea of shouts, over the sound of the grinding metal, 50 feet in the air, once voice made it's way to Kai's sharp ears. _"Go Kai! You have to face me in the finals remember?"_ Kai's heart immediately swelled. Tyson was cheering him on instead of Hiro?

He looked back to Hiro's smirking face and realized something. Hiro wasn't Tyson. His Metal Dranzer, didn't come close to Dragoon. He was indeed a clever and worthy adversary, but- His eyes widened- Hiro was too calculating. Every move he made was planned. No doubt that the veteran had studied his past battles, discovering his weaknesses. He grinned. It was time to take a page from the book of Tyson.

Gin of the Gale gasped when his attack bounced off Dranzer. He had been owning this match just a second ago! What the hell? He cast his eyes towards the Hiwatari and his blood ran cold. Those demonic eyes were brimming with confidence, and a sly smirk was playing on the Russian's lips.

"What's wrong _Hiro_?" The Phoenix Blader taunted.

Aggravated, the Kinomiya attacked the navy blade, only to be left standing there dismayed when the attack just bounced off. He closely observed Dranzer's movement patterns and his raised his eyebrows as he placed the pieces together. "You've changed your strategy." He squinted as he observed the navy blade's erratic movements. "Do you even know what you're doing?"

Kai chuckled. "Winning!"

For the next 5 minutes, Metal Dranzer chased down the blue blade. Hiro's frustration increased as Dranzer would pull a surprising turn or just flip over his blade to avoid confrontation, then suddenly pull a surprise attack out of nowhere. Kai was rapidly switching from offensive to defensive tactics with seemingly no clear course of action.

His mouth dropped.

 _It was a mind game_. And he was losing, horribly.

Hiro smirked behind his mask. No matter, mind games were his was time to back Kai into a corner and reveal his _**true**_ feelings for Tyson. Discreetly, he purposely took the next few attacks so his beyblade could destroy the sound devices, so their conversation could be kept private. Once Metal Dranzer destroyed the last device and recovered from Dranzer's attack, the Kinomiya crossed his broad arms over his chest. "Do you really think my brother will fall for you?"

"Leave Tyson out of this! This battle is between you and me, Hiro!" shouted Kai.

"Pathetic. Well if you're aim is his virginity, I'm afraid you're too late."

"What do you mean?!" growled Kai, jealousy and fear creeping into his heart.

"I mean that Tyson is in love with Max. I caught them laying in bed together one night, after hearing them _moaning_."

Kai's heart shattered in his chest and he bowed his head so his bangs covered his face. _Max?_ "Shut-up."

But seeing that he was hitting a nerve, Hiro kept going. "I watched Tyson pull out of Max, kiss him on the lips, swearing his love for him, before they finally noticed me in the doorway. They've been keeping it hushed, but they're eloping in-"

 **"I SAID SHUT-UP!"**

A brilliant, blazing inferno erupted from Kai's blade, forcing everyone to shield their eyes as a scorching wave of heat was released. When they could finally see again, flames were crackling and scorch marks could be seen on the protective glass that encased the arena, but due to the thick smoke, no one could see the bladers. The sprinklers came on to douse the flames, and once the smoke cleared, mouths dropped in shock.

The beydish was nothing more that a piece of melted, twisted steel and right in the centre of the destruction, Dranzer stood spinning. Metal Dranzer was no where to be seen and Hiro was on the ground, his clothes singed and blacked...laughing.

"Hahahahahahaha! Oh wow! You really do love him don't you?" Tears were pouring out of his eyes as the bluenette clutched his sides, laughing his ass off. "Who knew a little white lie would make you burn down a freaking stadium?!"

Gritting his teeth, Kai clenched his fists. "It was a lie?!" He wanted to burn Hiro's body till he was nothing more than ashes, but he barely had enough energy to see straight...

"Hahahahaha! I had to see what you're true feelings were. But wow, I couldn't stand in your way if I tried!" The elder Kinomiya slowly got off the floor and dusted off his charred clothes. "My brother is a lucky man."

Kai froze. "Are you-?"

Hiro caught his blade which seemed to fall from thin-air. "Good luck Kai."

The dual-haired teen stared at the man's retreating form in disbelief as he recalled his Dranzer. A slow grin spread across his cheeks. He may have won the beybattle, but Hiro had won the war. He turned and stepped down onto the platform.

"And Kai is the winner!" announced DJ Jazzman and the crowd erupted into applause as Kai disappeared into the exit hallway. The Russian was unsurprised to see Tyson waiting for him, concern written all over his face.

"What did Hiro say to you?"

Without looking up, Kai stated, "Nothing you need to worry about." Walking past his rival he added, "You don't need to worry about Hiro and I anymore."

Tyson spun around in confusion. "Wait, so you're friends now?"

"I wouldn't go that far Kinomiya. Anyways, don't you have a match to prepare for?"

"Right...Brooklyn." But a proud smile remained on the Dragon Master's face, happy that through beyblading, Kai and his brother had finally come to some kind of understanding.

* * *

There, Hiro finally pulled the stick out of his ass and approves of Kai dating his brother. He's still an asshole though. Please send me a review of what you thought of this chapter and I'll update as soon as I can!


	55. Chapter 55

Disclaimer: Takao Aoki still refuses to give me the rights to Beyblade, therefore I still have to write this disclaimer so the lawyers can't take my car.

Hello everyone! Yes, updates are back on track for the most part. There's still one chapter I have to re-write, but hey, I'll go into full hermit-mode to finish it. BORDERLINE WILL BE DONE BY DECEMBER 31st! I want it done by the new year so I can focus on my other projects. If I need to take the day off work to complete it, I will.

In other news, I'm on a diet. I'm on MyFitnessPal, if anyone wants to join me in losing some weight, PM me and I'll give you my username so you can add me as a friend. I have roughly 60 pounds to lose. So YEAH! LET'S DO THIS!

Fun fact about this chapter...the beginning wasn't planned! Max vs Ray, Tyson vs Brooklyn and Tyson vs Max were all short 1 paragraph blurbs in the original chapter. When I decided to type this chapter out at 1am in the fricken morning, I started to see the glaring plot hole and my fingers did the rest. It's now 4:30am and I don't even know what I'm typing anymore...so yeah...it's an extra, extra long chapter for you guys!

Without further ado, enjoy the next chapter of Borderline!

* * *

Max and Ray's match was more intense than any of their previous battles. With their new abilities, it became an all out war between speed and defense, as the Lightning and Water Masters traded devastating blow after devastating blow. Not daring to blink, the spectators watched the conflict as the protective glass shaked and rattled under the sheer force of their attacks. After 30 gruelling minutes, Max used Ray's speed against him, knocking Drigger out of what was left of the dish, winning by a narrow margin.

"Good...battle...buddy." panted Max, as beads of sweat poured down his face.

"You...too." huffed Ray, as he laid down on the floor, and Max followed suit.

DJ Jazzman looked at the two in alarm. "Hey! Do you guys need a medic?"

Max waved his hand. "It's all good. We just need 5 minutes to catch our breath."

From up in the stands, Tyson smiled. "Now that was a real beybattle." He punched his hand. "Oh man! I can't wait to face Brooklyn!"

"Speaking of that, you should probably get ready Tyson! Your match starts in 15 minutes." said the Chief as he glanced at the clock.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." said Tyson as he stood up from his seat. "Wish me luck guys!" he said as he shimmied past Kenny and Hilary and started walking down the staircase.

"Kinomiya!"

The baseball-capped teen turned and looked up at his rival. "Yeah Kai?"

"Remember your promise."

Tyson smiled and gave a thumbs-up. "Don't worry Kai, this match is in the bag!" With that he raced down the steps down to the arena.

* * *

"Now for our next epic battle, it's Tyson Vs Brooklyn! Give it up for these two awesome bladers!" shouted DJ Jazzman and the crowd went wild.

Tyson walked up to the beydish and stared into his opponent's emerald eyes. This was it. This was the rematch he had been waiting for. He withdrew his blade from his pocket. "You ready for this Brooklyn?"

"Oh I'm ready." His eyes narrowed. "But are you?" The wind shifted and suddenly Brooklyn's body began emitting a white light, blinding the whole stadium.

"Not this shit again!" Kai groaned.

The beystadium was encased inside a black sphere.

* * *

Tyson blinked. He was inside the world of Brooklyn's mind again, but...it was different. Where there was once grey, desolate skies, there was now a sea of blue. Once barren ground was now grassy meadows filled with flowers. The Dragon Master cast his gaze up to the sky to see Brooklyn airborne, a pair of shimmering angel wings gleamed in the sunlight.

"Hope you don't mind Tyson, but I don't like all the noise of the tournament. Plus I doubt that flimsy glass will survive our beybattle."

Tyson grinned when he realized what Brooklyn was offering- an all out beybattle with absolutely no limits. "Sure, I don't mind. In fact, I'm stoked!" He loaded his launcher. "3...2...1! Let it rip!"

* * *

From the outer dimension, spectators watched in awe as rays of light and blue lightning shot out of the sphere.

"Woah, it really looks like they're really going at it!" said Ray as the glass absorbed another wave of electricity.

"Arg! It's no use! I can't compile any data on that sphere!" panicked Kenny.

"I don't think we can do anything Chief, but sit and wait." said Max solemnly, looking at the black orb anxiously.

Kai gripped his elbows tighter. _'C'mon Tyson. Believe in yourself. Believe in yourself and show that lazy bastard what it means to be a true beyblader!"_

The battle raged on, and the fantastic light displayed continued until the black sphere abruptly shone a bright blue. The light slowly got more intense then suddenly the sphere burst.

Dust and smoke carpeted the arena, making the audience squint to see what the hell was going on. Slowly, the dust settled and the World Champion was still standing. His clothes were torn from battle, there were scratches on his chest, legs and face, but in front of him spun his little white blade. On the other side of the arena, Brooklyn was laying face down on the steal floor. Beside his head, his Zeus blade laid on it's side.

"And the winner is Tyson!"

Everyone in the arena rose to their feet in thunderous applause.

"I won?" whispered Tyson, as he looked up to the sea of faces, all of them cheering his name. He smiled. "I won." With that, he fell backwards onto the platform, that immediately starting descending down to the stadium floor...where Kai was waiting. Gingerly the dual-haired man picked up the boy's unconscious form.

"You did good Tyson." He looked up to the beydish. "Dragoon!" At once, the white blade obeyed the Phoenix Master and weakly jumped down from the dish, landed and came to a rest on Tyson's chest. The audience cheered as they watched the former Captain carry his roommate out of the stadium.

Kai brought his beloved to his dressing room and carefully laid him on the couch, before taking the Dragoon blade. "Unfortunately, you still have one more match, but we'll try to buy you as much time as possible." He stepped out of the room, surprised to see Tala and Bryan standing there with giant smirks plastered onto their faces.

"How can we help?"

Kai's lips curved upwards. He really was going to have to give Tala a vacation when this was all over.

* * *

"Our next match-up will be Max vs Tyson!" Screamed DJ Jazzman into the mic, making the audience go crazy with excitement. "Which will take place-"

" **HOLD IT!** " The voice boomed throughout the stadium, and the lights went out, making everything go silent. Suddenly a single spotlight shone on a lone figure in the middle of the arena. The audience looked at each other in confusion. What was Julia Fernadez doing?

The brown and orange haired beyblader raised her head to look up at the enormous crowd. "I know that you are all patiently waiting for the next match, but some of the former contestants and I had other ideas, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this special ' _Beyblade Extravaganza'_!". The stadium once more went dark, and when the lights came back on again, Raul had joined his sister on stage and both were dressed in their costumes. They pulled their ribbons from their robes and the soft melodies of "Here Comes The Hotstepper" by Yuksek started playing. At once the twins seemed to come alive with the music, twisting and turning their ribbons to the beat, then at the chorus, they pulled their ripcords and released their beyblades, both of the tops then started dancing and spinning on the ribbons. Raul and Julia were in perfect synchronization as they danced.

The audience loved it, and they clapped their hands in time with the rythym.

* * *

Deep within the halls of the stadium, Kenny was staring at the mangled, shredded remains of Tyson's Dragoon in disbelief. "There's NO WAY I can fix that! It's way too badly damaged! And I still have Max's blade to finish! Isn't there anyway we can hold the match tomorrow?!"

"Relax, chief! That's why we're here!"

Kenny looked to the doorway where Emily, Miguel and Mr. And Mrs. Tate were standing, with Tala, Spencer and Bryan pulling up the rear. Kenny looked up at Kai. "Yeah, but even the four of us couldn't fix it in-" he glanced up at the clock, "-in 20 minutes! Isn't there a way we can convince the judges to postpone the match until tomorrow, or have them call a draw?"

Judy stepped forward, "I have already tried, and so has Mr. Dickenson. They would just recognize Kai as the winner of the tournament since he's the only one who has already advanced to the finals."

"And you _know_ I won't accept that." said Kai pointedly.

"We've rounded up the other bladers and let them know the situation, they're more than willing to buy us enough time to fix the blades." explained Emily.

"We just need to know what we're doing." explained Miguel with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Kenny looked up at the hopeful expressions of his friends, and he felt his eyes well up with tears. Everyone was coming together to make sure that the tournament was going to be fair as possible. He grinned and wiped his eyes. "Alright, tell everyone to stall for 2 hours. We'll split into teams. Emily and Mr. Tate, you can finish working on Draciel. I've done most of the work on the defense ring, but there's still some balance issues and it needs to be calibrated. Miguel you're going to help me basically rebuild Dragoon. We're going to pray that the core hasn't been damaged and modify some parts that I have saved just for this occasion." He looked around for his girlfriend. "Um, where did Hilary go?"

Kai raised his eyebrow. "We talked to her already, and she volunteered to modify the arena for the show, by logging into the system using your password."

"WHAT?!"

Bryan chuckled. "Yeah, she claimed she watched you test everything enough times, that she knew the system 'like the back of her hand' and told us not to worry about anything."

Kenny sweat dropped. Last he checked, the way Hilary did things was to press random buttons until _something_ worked. Hoping that she really did have this covered, he rolled up his sleeves. "Well we're just going to need to get this done as fast as possible. Let's do it!"

* * *

Despite Kenny's fear, Hilary was inside the stadium's control room in complete control of the situation. She had spent _hours_ watching Kenny prepare the system for the tournament. She didn't know how many times he had painstakingly raised and lowered each platform to make sure they were all functioning properly. While it was true she couldn't beyblade to save her life, she had grown fond of these boys who had welcomed her into their group. They had saved her time and time again and this was her way of repaying them. And while most of the time the jerks didn't care about their own safety, they did care about everyone else's. She had watched Tyson push himself to the point of total exhaustion trying to free herself and Kenny from a box that was ready to crush them alive. Kai had pushed her against the wall of a cliff when a surprise rock slide had nearly crushed them both, and had saved her from falling off a cliff on another occasion. Whenever a creepy dude had hit on her, Max was the first to pull her away and pretend that he was her boyfriend until the guy got the hint. One time she got her period by surprise it had soaked through her white shorts, and Ray not only went out to buy her a new pair of pants, pads and Tylenol, but he did it so discreetly that none of the other members of the Bladebreakers knew.

She saw that Julia and Raul were coming to the end of their performance. She tapped her communication device. "Alright White Tigers, you're next!"

* * *

Mr. Dickenson's eyes lit up as the music suddenly switched to "Dangerous" by Within Temptation, and the White Tigers took over the stage, starting an epic 4 on 4 beybattle. The judge that was next to him nudged him. "Please sir! We can't have this continue! We need to start the next beybattle right away or else the audience will get restless!"

His brown eyes swept through the auditorium, where all of the fans were on their feet cheering, watching the match in fascination. "Hmm, do they look restless to you?"

"Umm-"

"Exactly. Let the players have their fun. It's a nice surprise don't you think?"

"Well, I suppose so sir..."

"Good. So just do what Miss Fernadez recommended and sit back and enjoy the show." He chuckled to himself. The kids really were clever. Throwing together a show at the very last minute to give Max and Tyson time to recover? He couldn't be prouder of those kids. He only prayed that by the time the show was over, it would have been enough.

* * *

Tala and Bryan watched the TV as the White Tigers battle was coming to the end. Kevin and Gary had been eliminated and it was down to Lee vs Mariah. "How is it coming?"

"Draciel's done, but Dragoon still needs an attack ring." said Miguel, watching Kenny in awe as the little genius was cutting a ring with careful precision in a small square of titanium.

"Then it looks like we're up." grinned the silver-haired Russian.

Kai looked up. "You're going out there?"

Tala leaned down and whispered, "Anything to make you confess to your darling Tyson." The red-head smirked as Kai's cheeks coloured.

"Get the fuck out of here Ivanov!"

Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Tala practically skipped out of the room as he and Bryan headed towards the stage.

* * *

Slowly mahogany eyes opened and their owner found himself to be in that blissful world between dreams and reality as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He rolled over to shift closer to Kai, when he unceremoniously ended up rolling off the couch and landing on his side. "Ow! What the- THE MATCH!" He looked up at the clock and saw that it was nearly 4:00pm! Who the hell let him sleep that long?! "Crapcrapcrapcrap." he muttered to himself as he started leafing through his pockets searching for his blade. It was then that he realized how tattered his clothes were. He looked around and saw that there was a pair of fresh clothes neatly folded on the chair. His eyes widened and his face broke into a smile. Quickly he changed into the black jeans and purple shirt before racing down the hallway to find Kenny.

"Voila! Dragoon is finally finished!"

"And not a moment too soon!" Everyone looked to the doorway, surprised to see Tyson.

"Tyson!" said the Chief in joy. "Did you have a good nap?"

"Yeah, but what about mine and Max's match? I thought it was supposed to start right after I was done moping the floor with Brooklyn?"

"Well after the match, you, Dragoon, Max and Draciel were in no condition to beyblade. So everyone got together to stall for time so you guys could rest and we could fix your blades."

Tyson blinked. "Everyone?"

Kenny grinned. "You'll see." He then presented the newly-made blade. "Tyson, meet Dragoon Hurricane. He's stronger and faster than your old blade, but you should have no problem with it!"

"Woah, Dragoon Hurricane!" The Japanese teen looked down at the small silver blade with pride. "You're the best chief!"

"Go get 'em Tyson!"

Tyson nodded then turned to leave, when he noticed Kai standing there by the door with his arms folded over his chest, looking as broody as ever. The pony-tailed teen approached the enigma. "Thanks for the clothes Kai."

"Hn. I don't know what you're talking about." said the Russian, looking away to hide his blush.

"Yeah, yeah, be that way sourpuss. Wait for me in the finals!" Before Kai could reply, the teen had already left the room. When Kai opened his eyes he could see everyone in the room staring at him with knowing smiles.

"Say one word, and I'll annihilate you all with Dranzer." Immediately everyone's face paled and they resumed whatever they were doing.

* * *

Tyson was just blown away as he watched all his friends go at each other in this massive dish! The White Tigers, the PPB All Starz, the Blitzkrieg boys and nearly every person from the tournament was here! He watched as their blades teamed up in groups of twos and threes to knock out certain players. It was raw, it was brutal...and it was amazing. These guy were playing for the pure love of the game! This. This is why he loved beyblading so much. He closed his eyes and listened to the sweet sound of metal clashing against metal.

"Hey Tyson."

Said teen opened his eyes and turned and smiled at Max. "Hey Maxie."

"It's really amazing that everyone came together for us isn't it?"

"Yeah, I really wish I was out there though. This is getting me fired up!"

"Yeah, I know what you mean buddy." Max placed his hand on Tyson's shoulder. "Let's just have a great match, and not worry about anything else, ok?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me Maxie." They turned back to the match, just in time to watch Tala knock Mariah's beyblade out of the dish and win. The crowd jumped up on their feet and clapped fervently as all the players took a bow. Julia eyed Max and Tyson in the stands and took the mic.

"Well that's all for us! Hope you enjoyed our _'Beyblade Extravaganza'_! Without further ado, enjoy the next match!"

The lights dimmed and the next time they came on, Max and Tyson were standing in the middle of the arena, on opposite sides of the beydish, launchers at the ready.

 **"3...2...1! LET IT RIP!"**

* * *

"Oh man, this sushi is so good!" declared Tyson as he crammed another California roll into his already full mouth.

"Hey! That was mine!" whined Daichi.

"Well beybattling is hard work!" insisted the Champion.

Max lost the match, after Draciel lost spin due to Dragoon's 'Hurricane Devastation' attack, and being as good-natured as he was, offered to take their little group on his dime out for supper," _ **for old times sake**_ _"._ Currently Tyson and Daichi was on their 5th course, Max had drenched his food in mustered to ensure that nether of the little shit-disturbers would touch it, while Ray and Kenny tried to shield their plates with their arms, while Kai sat back and sipped on his coffee.

They didn't have to worry about being kicked out because Max had booked a private table at a 5-star restaurant so no fans could harass them for autographs, and tipped the waiter extra to basically pretend he didn't see the chaos.

Kenny looked around the group and a wave of nostalgia hit him. Once upon a time, they had done this nearly everyday while they were backpacking through Europe during the first world tournament. It had been the first year that they had been a team. Tears pricked the mechanic's eyes as his emotions bubbled up deep inside his chest.

Ray saw Kenny's shoulders tremble. "What's wrong Chief?"

At once the table went quiet and everyone stopped what they were doing to make sure their friend was doing alright.

"It's really nothing guys. I just realized that you're all the very best friends I could ever hope to wish for, and how we never get to be like this anymore."

Everyone paused as the statement slowly sunk in, Max and Ray looked at each other guiltily before opening their mouths to speak-

"Don't even think about apologizing." All eyes turned to Kai. "Don't you ever apologize for going off and chasing after your own dreams. You know what you want in life, and you're doing it. Don't ever apologize to _anyone_ for bettering yourself or making yourself stronger."

"Kai's right." smiled Tyson, taking another bite of a California roll. "After all, whenever you guys need a break from everything, you can always come home." He glanced at Kai. "No matter how old we get, or what happens between us, we'll always be there for each other. The world isn't _that_ big."

Max, Daichi, Ray and Kenny looked up at Tyson with misty eyes. "You're right Tyson. This is home."

"And we are family." affirmed Daichi.

"Forever." added Ray.

Tyson smiled softly and turned back to Kenny. "So don't worry about a thing, we'll do this again."

Kenny dried his eyes. "Yeah."

"Hey, when we're done here, does anyone want to go down by the river?" suggested Ray.

Tyson quickly wolfed down the last pieces of food on his plate before hailing their waiter. "Cheque please!"

* * *

After the teammates went down the river to beyblade and reflect on old times, they decided to head back to the dojo and crash there _**for old time's sake**_. When Tyson could hear the soft snores and sleep mutterings of the others, he slowly crept from his bed, opened the sliding door, stepping outside to stare at the full shimmering moon. He relaxed as he felt the cool wind brush along his tanned skin, and looked to his blade that was in his right hand. "This is it Dragoon. One more battle and we're the World Champions for the 4th year in a row. The only thing standing in our way now is Kai. We need to bring our best tomorrow and play our hearts out, because Kai and Dranzer deserve nothing less. Are you ready ol' buddy?"

The surface of Dragoon's bitchip gleamed in response.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Tyson turned as the door opened to reveal the person who was on his mind. He gave him a cheerful smile. "Hey Kai, couldn't sleep?"

"Hn." The enigma walked over to one of the dojo's support beams, crossed his broad arms and leaned his strong back against it. "I came to check on you." He gave him a pointed look.

It took the bluenette a second before he understood what the Russian was asking. "Oh. The nightmares. Don't worry, I haven't had one in ages." _Mostly because I've been sleeping next to you at night._

"Good." The pair stared at each other for a long time, happily getting lost in the other's eyes as the night air gently tousled their hair.

"I think I needed today." said Tyson after a long while. "More so than Kenny even." He looked down and fidgeted with his blade. "It was really nice to sit back and think about everything that brought us here. To remember where I came from and just how much I've improved."

"Hn. To me, no matter how much you improve, you'll always be that mouthy brat that thought everyone owed him a match, no matter how many times they told you to get lost."

"Yeah well, you'll always be that moody jerk who never seemed to make up his mind." Somehow, there was a gentle fondness within Tyson's smile.

"Hn."

For a long while the boys stared up at the night sky, reflecting on their past. It was amazing, once upon a time they couldn't stand each other, now neither of them could imagine life without the other.

* * *

"Hello and welcome beyblade fans to the final match of the 2005 World Championship! It's the Mighty Kai Hiwatari vs The Unpredictable Storm Tyson Kinomiya! The history between these two runs deep, as they are sworn rivals and former teammates. These awesome legends of beyblading will take it to the dish to prove which of them is truly deserving of the title "World Champion"! Now a word from our Head Chairman and director of the BBA... Mr. Dickenson!"

The stadium roared in applause as the most respected man in the sport rose up on a platform. "Hello ladies and gentlemen! It is my pleasure to announce the last match of the tournament! Although; some of you may remember the match between these two powerful men back in 2003 and the destruction they caused."

There were murmurs from the crowd, and one little boy jumped up and shouted, "Yeah, that was awesome!"

The old man chuckled. "Well yes, it was indeed awesome, young man. But for safety's sake, you will all find that there handles on your seats so you can hold on to them and also-" Everyone watched as a second glass cage was placed over the arena. "-just in case. Jazzman, would you do the honours?"

"Well you heard the man! The final battle starts in 30 minutes, so make sure you buy your Tyson and Kai bobble-head dolls before they sell out!"

* * *

In a dressing room in the back of the building, Kai Hiwatari was putting the finishing touches of his war paint. Beside him, Dranzer laid on the desk, it was clear to see it had been freshly polished. Staring at his reflection, Kai's gaze hardened. This was it. After all these months of planning, training and sheer insanity- Everything came down to this one last battle. Once he walked into that arena, nothing mattered but him, Tyson and their bitbeasts.

A 'click' brought him out of his thoughts and he watched through the mirror as Tala and the rest of the blitzkrieg boys walked in.

"Are you done putting on your make-up Sunshine?" teased Bryan.

"Are you done with coming up with lame jokes?" Kai shot back.

"Don't tell me you're actually nervous." said Tala placing a hand on his hip, but quickly shut his mouth when those demonic eyes flashed warningly.

"You have no idea how long I have waited for this Tala. Our duel has been written in the stars and now the time has come to fulfil destiny."

 _'Fulfil destiny?'_ Tala's eyes widened in realization. He watched as the Fire Master grabbed his blade from off the desk and storm out of the room.

When he was sure Kai was out of ear-shot, Bryan turned to his lover. "What was all that mambo-jumbo destiny crap about? Has bird-boy finally gone batty?"

Tala blinked. "I think I know, but we'll have to wait and see. C'mon, let's go make sure no one has stolen our seats."

* * *

In a dressing room on the very opposite side of the building, Ray and Max were staring at Tyson with identical looks of disbelief. The rambunctious teen was actually meditating. Had aliens somehow kidnapped their friend?"

"Oh no need to worry about him guys, he finds it helps him focus before big matches. It also keeps him from going to the bathroom every 5 minutes."

Tyson opened one eye and growled. "Arg! That was supposed to be a secret chief!"

Ray and Max giggled. Same ol' Tyson.

"Awww screw it!" said Tyson as he stood up. "How goes the repairs to Dragoon Chief?"

Almost done, just reshaping the attack ring after it got damaged in the match between you and Max."

"Awesome, nice work chief. I don't know where I would be without you!" He glanced at the clock. 15 minutes before he had to be in the arena...

"Anxious Tyson?" asked Max.

"I just can't wait! Kai is such an awesome blader! I can't wait to get in there and give it my all!"

Max nodded in understanding. There was no denying that whenever Kai and Tyson squared off, they both seemed to get lost in their own little world. But not only that, but it was the only time they got see the bladers unleash their full power. Every other time, it was obvious that they were seriously holding back.

"Just go out there and do your best Tyson. You know we'll be cheering." said Ray giving the Dragon Master a thumbs up.

"And all done!" said Kenny as he handed the bluenette the newly repaired blade. "I'd tell you to be careful, but we both know that you won't listen anyways."

Tyson smiled and looked down at his Dragoon. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to win."

"Time's up Tyson. Are you ready?" asked Hiro walking into the room.

Tyson gave his championship smile. "Oh yeah, more than ready. Watch me beat the pants off Kai!" His hands suddenly went straight to his crotch. "Then again, one last bathroom break couldn't hurt!" he shouted as he rushed down the hallway.

Max laughed, "Oh yeah, he's nervous."

Ray chuckled, "We should be lucky it's not his scared farts, those were awful!"

"I HEARD THAT!"

* * *

"Give it up for the strongest bladers in the world Kai and Tyson!" The fans cheered as they watched the beyblading titans step out from their separate entrances and walk into the arena. Tyson was waving and blowing kisses to all his fans, while Kai just ignored them all.

They walked into the arena and their eyes met. "Ready Kai?!"

"I was born ready Tyson!"

"And now...BRING ON THE DISH!" Jazzman glanced over at Mr. Dickenson and the old man nodded. The stadium floor began peeling back to reveal a hidden level underneath. "This is what we call the 'Iron-will Dish'! As you can see, the entire beydish is 2 square miles of solid steel, so players and beyblades can move around freely!"

Tyson laughed and looked up at the BBA director. "You know that we'll probably end up destroying this dish too, right Mr. D?"

The crowd laughed and Mr. Dickenson wiped the sweat that had gathered on his face with his handkerchief. "I was afraid of that."

Tyson laughed once more before he turned to his rival and his face turned serious. "You ready Kai?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

The men loaded their launchers and widened their stances, relaxed their shoulders and took a breath. Red met Cinnamon and that weird, physic connection washed over them and they could hear each other's heartbeat in their head.

 **"3...2...1! LET IT RIP!"**

* * *

Well this chapter took over 3 days to write and edit and it's over 5,000 words. I really hoped you enjoyed it, I'll be back with more soon! Tell me what you thought and let me know who you think is gonna win!


	56. Chapter 56

Disclaimer: I own jack shit.

So here it is! The chapter you have all been waiting for! Kai and Tyson's big battle!

Thank-you to HibarixTsunaxlover, solitareseraphimsilvertaciturn and Tyka's Flower for your reviews! Thank-you to the readers who have been here since the beginning and thank you to the newcomers who have made it to this point. I love and appreciate you all!

* **NOTE:** I have pulled on a co-writer who helped me write this chapter and the one after this. That person is my ex-husband **Nawmay**. He's a fantastic writer! I was more than happy to end Borderline with this chapter but noooooooooo. He gave me other ideas.

**Nawmay has been helping me a bit throughout the story, especially the scientific sides of beybattles and the ending of Borderline. Why I go to him? Because he wasn't ever going to read this story in its entirety, so I didn't have to worry about giving away spoilers.

***If anyone needs writing advice, I highly recommend talking to Nawmay. He knows a variety of animes and is very nice, but BRUTAL. When I came back to writing in 2013, he ripped apart my writing and showed me how important flow and proper grammar are. There's a link to his profile in my profile.

Happy reading!

* * *

 **"3...2...1! LET IT RIP!"**

Silver and navy blurs shot out of their respected launchers and crashed together in the dead-centre of the stadium, producing massive purple shock waves, shaking the atoms of everything within a ten mile radius.

"Woah." breathed Tyson as he struggled to keep his balance. This was unreal! He could feel his nerves vibrating with the force of the impact. Worriedly, he gazed up at Kai who was breathing hard, clearly feeling the effects of the energy wave as much as he was. But there was something else- Kai's was grinning. The fire of his beyblading spirit was burning deep within his garnet orbs.

Oh this match was so on!

The beyblades crashed to the ground, creating a giant dent in the steel dish and the chase began, with Dranzer on the attack. The blades sped around the rectangular dish, Dranzer attacking the silver blade ruthlessly, and Dragoon successfully dodging each attack. Kai increased Dranzer's speed, and just as it was about to pow into his rival's blade from behind, it suddenly disappeared, and Dranzer was about to go over the edge of the dish!

Kai focused his energy and pulled Dranzer into a full stop. The Russian smirked. "Old tricks won't save you now Kinomiya! Dranzer, fly!" The indigo blade leaped into the air and hit the silver blade dead-on, the impact sending shockwaves throughout the stadium once more.

Tyson gritted his teeth as he watched his blade do several back-flips in mid-air and bounce against the steel wall below his feet. He let out a sigh of relief when Dragoon landed right-side up and made a flawless recovery. Ok...so maybe using old moves against Kai wasn't the smartest decision- he needed a new strategy. He watched the way Dranzer was speeding around the dish. What was an effective way to make Dranzer lose speed? Wait...didn't one of his friends have a similar idea at one point? Thinking back, he recalled when Max used Draciel's Gravity Force attack against Kai in the last world championship. Maybe he could apply the same concept here?

At once his Dragoon started picking up speed, going in the opposite direction of Kai's blade. Faster and faster the silver blade went, until it finally created a massive tornado.

Kai realized what his opponent was attempting."Hn...nice try Tyson, but you're not the only one who has learned some new moves. **Go Dranzer!** " The audience held their breath as they watched the blue blade allow itself to be sucked into the twister- and ride the air currents. The camera men zoomed in and on the mega screen, everyone watched Dranzer travel up the wind spiral and escape out the top, smashing into the ledge Tyson was standing on.

The 17-year old fell ass-first onto the hard surface of the dish. "Ngh." He moaned as he rubbed his bruised backside. He looked up at his smug rival. "Oh is that the way you want to play it?! Fine then! Dragoon, give this guy a taste of his own medicine!" Obeying his partner's command, the silver top jumped onto the very rim of the of the dish and slammed into the platform Kai was standing on, at full-force. The platform shattered.

The Hiwatari manged to do a front flip and gracefully somersaulted and landed on the stadium floor on one knee, before glaring at Tyson.

The audience held their breaths as they watched the two rivals stare each other down. Kai's blade surrounded itself in red flames, while Dragoon created a powerful wind sphere around itself.

"You ready for this to get serious Tyson?" Kai challenged. He was daring Tyson.

Tyson grinned. "Bring it on Kai!"

Kai's eyes glowed red for an instant as he connected his soul to his guardian's. **"Go Dranzer!"**

 **"Dragoon!"**

The beyblades revved up to full power and charged, crashing into each other in the centre of the dish. As metal grinded against metal, the friction creating a shower of sparks, violent seismic waves were produced, shaking the entire floor of the stadium. Small cracks began to form in the first cage of protective glass. The spectators clenched to the bars of their chairs as the waves blew through their bodies, making their teeth rattle as they watched the match with wide, unblinking eyes.

Shoes tried to dig into the steel as the bladers tried to keep standing as they felt each other's very souls pressed up against each other, fighting for dominance, neither giving an inch.

The bitbeasts arised from their blades and engaged in battle. It was a dance of wind and fire as the ancient beings went head to head. They fought inside the dish, until they realized their battle would end up harming their young wards and took their war into the skies, completely blowing through the two layer of glass with ease and blowing off the roof of the stadium.

Kai and Tyson kept strong, still engaged of their own invisible battle. The more they pushed, the more their blades began to glow, and soon a bright, blinding, white light encompassed the stadium.

When the light finally faded, everyone strained their eyes to see through the thick smoke to see which blade was left standing.

Their mouths dropped in shock.

Both blades were still spinning strongly, but the players had gone through unbelievable transformations.

Sprouting from Kai's back were a pair of captivating crimson phoenix wings that seemed like they were made of Dranzer's fire. On Tyson's body, there were what appeared to be blue scales made out of Dragoon's energy,

"Woah!" gasped Ray.

"Check them out!" declared Max.

Kenny furiously typed away on his computer, trying to make some sense of what was happening. "Ah! Dragoon and Dranzer have somehow completely combined their powers with Tyson and Kai!"

"Combined their powers? So like two souls inhabiting one body?" Max looked back at the arena. "That is so cool."

"I wonder how the battle will play out now?" asked Ray.

"I guess we'll find out." said Kenny.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I can't believe what I am seeing!" shouted DJ Jazzman as he stared at the bladers. "Somehow the bladers have combined their energy with their bitbeasts and both look ready for more action!"

The crowd broke out into applause and their were several shouts of "Best beybattle ever!"

Tyson looked down at himself and marveled at the scales that covered his body. He had never felt so close with Dragoon. He could feel the mighty dragon's power coursing through his veins. He could feel the ancient spirit's thoughts like they were his own. Every breath he took, he felt more powerful.

"I don't believe it..." Tyson looked up at Kai who had his eyes closed and had a peaceful smile on his face. "...All this time. The power I was craving was deep inside Dranzer and I the whole time."

Tyson smiled gently. "I always knew you had it in you."

Kai opened his eyes, his eyes soft, before they narrowed and a smirk played on his lips. "Are you ready to lose your title Tyson?"

"Keep dreaming Kai!"

They took flight. Escaping the cage through the hole their beasts had made earlier. They climbed high into the skies, circling each other, until they were sure they were far enough away they wouldn't cause any damage. Kai was the first to attack. Focusing his thoughts, he created a ball of fire within his palms and launched it at Tyson.

The Dragon Master's instincts took over and he raised his arms to shield himself, the scales letting the attack bounce harmlessly off of him. Experimentally, he waved his hand and a huge gale-force wind was launched at his opponent, who quickly flapped his wings to move up to dodge it, before releasing another fireball. Tyson caught it, then used his air manipulation skills to draw out the oxygen particles, successfully suffocating the flame. Before he could retaliate however, his left cheek exploded into pain and he was sent flying sideways.

Tyson wiped the blood off his chin. "Heh. Nice left hook. Now let me show you mine!"

From then on out, it was an all out war. The spectators watched in fascination as the Wind and Fire Masters exchanged blow after blow, in a mix of hand-to-hand combat and magic. Their blades were still in the arena mimicking their every move. The battle became more intense with each passing minute, the bond between their souls growing stronger, deepening with every strike.

As they became more enthralled in the battle, the more the world faded away, until all that was left was the two of them standing face-to-face.

"This is the best battle I've ever fought in my life Kai, but we gotta get this over with." said Tyson with a caring smile.

Kai smiled back. "I know. Give me everything you've got Kinomiya, because you're about to feel some _**real**_ heat."

"Bring it on Kai!"

"AHHHHHHH!" Kai screamed as he summoned the last of his and Dranzer's power. "Harness the power of the sun! **SOLAR INCINERATION!** "

 **"STORM REVELATION!"**

The final attacks collided and the light illuminated the entire city. The shock waves produced by the beyblades increased by a hundred-fold and the protective glass was completely incinerated.

* * *

 **.** **. .**

 _The next time crimson eyes opened, stars were falling all around him. He raised his exhausted body and took in the sight of the 8 planets aligned in the night sky, underneath them, the ocean sparkled and shimmered, reflecting all the wondrous lights in it's blue depths. He looked beside him, and couldn't help but to smile. Tyson was safe next to him._

 _He watched as brown eyes opened. "We're back?"_

 _"Yeah. We made it back." answered the dual-haired male dreamily, captivated how ethereal Tyson looked underneath the falling lights._

 _"Wow." Tyson sat up. "Man that battle was insane!"_

 _"Yeah." agreed Kai, turning his gaze back to the enchanting world in front of them._

 _The males sat in silence for several moments, taking in the beauty of it all._

 _"Kai?"_

 _"Hn?" said man glanced back at his rival, and forgot how to breathe as he found himself getting lost in sparkling chocolate orbs. Second by second he was slowly losing the battle of holding himself back from kissing those soft lips and claiming them as his._

 _"I'm not sure if you already know this or not, but here goes..." Tyson took a deep breath. "Somewhere along in our crazy adventures,_

 _I realized how much I really do need you Kai. I realize now that all those things that I considered you a jerk for: 6 am training sessions, all the laps you made us run, the techniques you forced us to practice until they were perfect, not giving us all the answers, even though you knew them...you did all those things because it was your weird way of showing that you cared for us. I can't count how many times our backs were against the wall- sometimes literally- and you were the one who was there and pulled us through. When you left to join Tala's team, I tried to pretend that I didn't miss or need you but the truth is, I've always drawn strength from you. With you by my side, I feel invisible. Like the whole world could be against us, and it wouldn't matter because we would win. I guess what I'm trying to say here is...somewhere along the way, I feel in love with you Kai. Pretty crazy right?"_

 _Kai's eyes widened as he felt his consciousness drift from this world._

 _Tyson loved him?_

 **. . .**

* * *

The crowd roared with excitement as everyone rose to their feet with thunderous applause. Beams of sunlight shone through the holes where the ceiling once been, illuminating the thin layer of dust that still hung in the air, creating a beautiful glow throughout the stadium. The large chunks of ceiling that had fallen, lay in craters formed by their impact. The smaller bits of debris danced across the floor in rhythm with the booming cheers and applause which easily shook the now very structurally compromised stadium. Not that there was much of a stadium left.

Only the seating area remained undamaged. Thanks to Max and his Draciel whose constant, skillful manipulation of the moisture in the air to create barriers, protected the spectators from the blazing heat and relentless winds from Dranzer and Dragoon's intense battle. The view was surreal. The stands were unscathed by the battle but the ceiling had so many holes it looked like a net of concrete, with barely enough walls left to support it. Calling it the Beybattle of a Lifetime would hardly do it justice. The battle they had just witnessed would forever be engrained into the memories of each and every person there.

Upon hearing his name being chanted over and over again, Kai rose to his feet and searched for Tyson. The midnight haired angel was lying face down on the ground, with Dragoon laying on its side near his head. Kai looked down at his feet, quite surprised to see Dranzer just completing its last few spins before falling over.

"And that's it ladies and gentlemen! The battle is over! Kai Hiwatari is the new World Champion!"

The audience went crazy, and Kai took a few seconds to let that statement sink in. He had won?

"Ngh."

Kai looked down and watch Tyson's twitch as the bluenette slowly regained consciousness.

He smirked and strode up to his rival.

50 million mouths dropped around the world as they watched the newly crowned champion, pick up the bluenette by his tattered shirt and fully kiss him on the mouth. The stadium went dead silent. Then from somewhere up in the stands, Tala stood up and screamed "FUCKING FINALLY!"

Several other beybladers started cheering and clapping and soon the entire stadium was whistling and cheering.

When the kiss ended Tyson just stared up at his crush with wide, surprised eyes, and the Russian chuckled. "Idiot. I love you too." Smiling the brightest smile he had ever smiled in his life, Tyson enthusiastically returned the kiss.

* * *

Ok, ok, so they finally confessed! But there's more! So pop in next chapter to find out what happens next! Until then please leave a review of what you thought of the confession and Kai winning the match instead of Tyson!

I'm gonna ask you guys to be a little paitient for the next chapter. Nawmay had his part almost completed, but his computer crashed at work and he lost all his unsaved progress. I'm going to be on him to get the next part done within the next two weeks though. Unlike every other chapter of Borderline, we have to start the next one from scratch. So fingers crossed it will be soon!


	57. Chapter 57

Disclaimer: Nawmay and I do not own Beyblade, you people should be thankful that we don't.

 **Nawmay's Grand Apology:**  
Hello Readers,

I wanted to personally apologize to everyone for the delay in getting this chapter to you. Since I can't risk showing up at every reader's door to apologize in person which would inform everyone that I'm tracking them at all times in case they leave a bad review; I decided this was the best option.

I would like to chalk up the delay to some tragic event that would tug on your heart strings or some spectacular situation that would fill you with awe; however that is not the case. Put simply, I spend as much time with my family as I can, so the only chance for me to write was at work.

I do however understand that the author of Borderline felt an unyielding obligation to get this chapter to you in a timely manner and now has some guilt for such a long delay.

Well this has become far too long of an apology already so allow me to be blunt. I'm sorry it took so long. I hope you enjoy my writing. This chapter was written entirely by me so please note that any inconsistencies, errors or issues with my writing style should be directed to me. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

~Nawmay (The Ex)

 **Beta-Reader:** Rapid P. Saiko (I took out a horrible penis joke...TWICE.)

 **WARNINGS:** You guys are gonna hate us…

* * *

 **50 million mouths dropped around the world as they watched the newly crowned champion, pick up the bluenette by his tattered shirt and fully kiss him on the mouth. The stadium went dead silent. Then from somewhere up in the stands, Tala stood up and screamed "FUCKING FINALLY!"**

 **Several other beybladers started cheering** **and clapping and soon the entire stadium was whistling and cheering.**

 **When the kiss ended Tyson just stared up at his crush with wide, surprised eyes, and the Russian chuckled. "Idiot. I love you too." Smiling the brightest smile he had ever smiled in his life, Tyson enthusiastically returned the kiss.**

"AAAIIIIEEEE!"

A shrill, high-pitched scream pierced through the cheers, immediately silencing the crowd as they searched for its source. In only seconds, all eyes had shifted to a small girl in a central row near the commentator's booth. She looked to be about four or five years old. Her white dancing dress was just long enough to cover her feet as she dangled by her light blonde hair about a foot above the ground, suspended from a large, bony hand. Behind her stood the owner of the hand; his pointed face, purple hair and green trench coat were all too familiar. It was Boris; however, something was different about him.

His vibrant purple hair which was usually combed neatly back, was now a tangled mess tinted with white and grey. His sideburns were now patchy, as if tufts of hair had been pulled out in a fit of rage. His trench coat was tattered and worn, with holes all throughout it. His physical appearance looked as if he had escaped some crazy ordeal that left him a little worse for the wear, but it was his eyes that completely transformed him. His eyes which were usually blazing with feelings of anger and greed were now just voids of emptiness as he dangled the helpless little girl in front of himself.

"Thank you for getting their attention young lady. You did a remarkable job." Boris gently stroked the cheek of the little girl with the back of his free hand as he spoke. She let out a quiet whimper in response; too afraid to make any real words or perhaps she was just too young to form a proper response at all.

"I suppose for assisting me, it would be appropriate to spare you the sight of what comes next for everyone else. I do after all; have a bit of a soft spot for children". Boris stopped caressing her cheek and reached into his coat.

With a flourish if his arm, the girl's blue eyes widened as she let out another deafening scream. By the time anyone had realize what he was reaching for, it was too late. A patch of red steadily spread across the little girl's dress until it reached the hem and began dripping onto the floor. At its center was the tip of a blade just long enough to barely protrude from the front of her dress.

"It would appear, my dear, that you have a soft spot as well." A twisted grin crossed his face as he spoke.

Boris released his hold on the girl as he withdrew his blade. Her lifeless body seemed to fall in slow motion as every eye in the stadium watched her collapse into a pool of her own blood. Her legs folded under her as she fell into a kneeling position. Her arms, which had been raised in a frantic attempt to pry herself free from her captor, now hung limp at her sides. She slumped to one side and with a dull thud as her head collided with the tile, the whole crowd broke into screams.

"I strongly advise against scrambling for the exits, in a panicked frenzy." Boris had worked his way over to the commentator's booth and was now making use of the microphone. "Do you not wonder why there was no security running to the aid of that poor, defenseless, little girl?" Once again, Boris had everyone's attention.

"Ah, good. You're not all as dumb as young Tyson over there, looks." The stares of the panicked and confused audience quickly shifted from Boris to a dumbstruck Tyson and immediately back again. "Oh don't worry; we'll get to him in a moment. Now back to your whole lack of security dilemma. You see, when you have as much time as I have had recently, you are able to plan things quite thoroughly. Now, I could walk you all through my plan and tell you how I prepared all this but since I have a schedule to keep, please allow me to simplify things in a way that still answers all your questions. I –"He paused and looked around. "Give me just a moment please."

Boris stepped away from the microphone and casually walked back towards the little girl. Without the slightest sign of remorse, he took the child's hand in his own and proceeded back to the booth; lifeless body dragging across the floor in tow, leaving a trail of deep red as he went. Once back in the booth, he placed the body at the base of the microphone, gingerly removed his shoes and then perched himself atop the girl.

"Ah that's much better. My feet were getting so sore. I needed something soft to stand on. Children really do have limitless potential. Who would have guessed they could make such a soft step stool? The gift that keeps on giving. Now that things are a little more comfortable we can get back to the matter at hand. Where were we?" Nobody dared to break the silence as Boris collected his thoughts. "Ah yes, the questions. Question one: Where is the security? Well that's an easy one to answer. They're posted at each entrance to the building, keeping police from entering the building. Two: Why are they doing that? Well that's so I don't blow what's left of this place, to smithereens. Three: How could I do that? Good question. The guards received an anonymous tip that some among them are strapped with explosives. Since none of them know who may be working with me, they can't trust each other. If one tries to play hero, the ones working with me are going to detonate the explosives. They have been instructed to shoot any person that tries to get in or out of the building. Four: Where were that little girl's parents? Oh this one is my favorite. You won't believe this, but that was my daughter. Yea! You can't believe it right? I assure you that it's true though. As it turns out, it's really not difficult to adopt a child these days. Question number five: my, my, you are so full of questions. What do I want? Well, I want to bring an end to the people who have made my life a living hell; which, as luck would have it, brings me back to Tyson and his friends."

The silence that filled the building was unbreakable. Afraid of what he might do next, nobody took their eyes off Boris this time. Nobody was willing to take any chances at this point. With nowhere to run, all anyone could do is listen to what he had to say, in hopes that they would be set free and this was exactly the position Boris wanted to be in. He had all the power and he knew it.

"Now as much as I enjoy being the center of attention, I am drawing quite tired of talking and I am in a hurry so please allow me to make this short and simple. I will read off a list of names and if your name is called, please raise your hand for everyone to see. Failure to do so will result in the execution of, well, whomever I want really. Seeing as I already have far too much blood on my coat, I would much rather avoid that last bit if I could. Alright, without any further ado, here we go: Anya Hiwatari, Daichi Sumeragi, Hilary Tachibana, Hiro Granger, Judy Tate, Kenny Saien, Mariah Wong, Ryu Granger and just for the hell of it, lets add Dickenson to the list as well. So let me see, that makes one, two, tree-" he grew quieter as he counted the names off on his fingers until he came to the last number. "Nine! That makes nine names. Do we have nine hands up yet?"

Curious, eyes started to wander from Boris in desperate search of raised hands. One by one, hands started going up until finally Mr. Dickenson raised his as high as his stout frame would allow, giving a grand total of nine, much to everyone else's relief.

"Good. Good. You're cooperation is greatly appreciated. I'm sure our spectators would agree with me on this. Now everyone, please get a good look at these nine people. They are the closest friends and family Tyson, Kai, Ray and our little protector, Max, over there." He gave a slight nudge of his pointed chin in the direction of blond boy as he spoke. "These people are the only ones who need to die today." Panicked whispers rippled through the crowd. "Yes, exciting isn't it? With their death rests your salvation. For you nine with your hands raised, how you die is mostly up to you. You can kill yourselves, you can kill each other, you can have me kill you or I can have these lovely folks kill you, knowing that they will be allowed to leave, completely unharmed once you are all dead. Of course, I have made arrangements to ensure that one of these options are chosen. Now, Chief if you wouldn't mind, please check your computer for me and open the file labeled "operation one", which should be visible on your screen."

Clearly confused, Kenny cautiously opened hip laptop, expecting no such file to be found. His confidence in his routine maintenance and knowledge of computers assured him there would be no unknown files on his computer. As the laptop opened, the familiar gentle voice of his computer's inhabitant, Dizzy could be heard. Only now, it was incoherent beeps and fragmented words that could be heard in place of the usually articulate words that Dizzy usually spoke in. This was far from normal. Kenny realized someone had tampered with his computer and they had done it recently. In the hopes of bringing clarity to the situation, Kenny opened the file he had never seen before. Immediately his screen erupted into flashes of white and black and the chestnut haired boy went limp and collapsed to the floor and his laptop was sent crashing. A wave of panic rippled through the crowd but it was quickly silenced as Kenny rose to his feet again and then stood without a sound.

"It would appear that my little program worked well. Thank you Hiro, for uploading that file to the Chief's computer for me. Although I'm sure you don't remember doing so, since you were not yourself when you did it. You see, I did to you, what I just did to young Kenny there. A simple subliminal image program which essentially shuts the mind down when seen directly. The effects only last about half an hour or so but affected parties are completely susceptible to any instructions given to them during that time. Your instructions were simple, put the file on Kenny's computer without being seen. It was quite ingenious if I do say so myself." He paused and let his words sink in. "Now that he's open to suggestion, how about we give him some instructions. Kenny, I want you to kill all of the people I listed, if nobody else does. Ignore all voices but my own from this point on."

"You're a monster! Stop getting everyone else to fight your battles and come face us yourself." Tyson's voice rung out through the stadium. "Give us back our Chief and let everyone go! There's no way you're going to get away with this!"

"How naïve, the mind of a child is. The world isn't all sunshine and rainbows my boy. Not everyone gets a happy ending; I can assure you of that."

"What do you want with them?!" Kai stepped to Tyson's side before shouting again. "They've done nothing wrong. Nobody here has done anything to you. Your issue is with us."

"SILLY BOY! You should learn your place! Like this girl, you are beneath me. You are hardly worth my time. The only reason any of this is happening is because there was something that sat nagging me in the back of my mind as I sat alone, locked within the confines of my once honored home. When I finally decided to listen to that nagging in my head I realized the only way I could move forward with my life was if I knew you and your little pals would spend the rest of your pathetic lives as miserable as I was. I don't want you four dead. I want you to live a long, healthy life, filled with misery and pain."

"Nobody in here is going to help you with your plan. If we do nothing, your plan falls apart." Tyson's anger seemed to be revitalizing his strength. "Our Chief won't hurt anyone and neither will the rest of the people here. You're game is over."

"HAHAHAHAHA! You're really are stupid. If your friends don't die, I turn this whole place into a crater in the ground. Now you've pissed me off and I really am growing weary of all this talking. If anyone tries to play the hero, this place goes up in flames! I am now moving up the timetable. Kenny, it's time. KILL!"

Kenny bent over and retrieved a broken jagged piece of his laptop from the floor.

"No! Chief you're stronger than this. You don't want to hurt anyone." Tyson's desperate shouts went unheard by his friend.

Kenny raised the broken shard to just below his right ear, pressed it tightly against his skin and without hesitation, dragged it along his neck until it reached the other ear bringing forth a familiar red trail as it went. Blood raced from the gash as Kenny dropped to his knees then fell face first onto the floor The blood continued flow out and surround his head.

"NOOOOOOO!" Hilary screamed as she ran to the fallen boy

"You killed Kenny! You BASTARD!" Tyson bolted for the stands heading straight for Boris with Kai right behind him. They quickly reached the first row of people and were forced to stop.

A very large, muscled, nameless man grabbed Tyson's arms and held him firmly in place. "I'm sorry" said the man. With tears flowing from his face he continued. "I have my son and daughter here. I can't let them get hurt. Nobody deserves to be hurt but if it's a couple lives in the place of thousands, I could justify it with the lives of my children alone. I can't let them get hurt". The tears continued to pour from the man's face as he stood there in silence.

"Ahh SHIT! Fucking brat prioritized himself on the damn list." Boris had his palm covering his face as he spoke, but quickly removed it before proceeding. "Alright, well that means it's up to you all. Are there any parents out there willing to stand up for their children? You all know who needs to die here. Who's willing to step to the plate and be the real hero? Eight more lives in exchange for everyone else here. It's not a difficult choice."

As if inspired by the words of the muscled man, some of the adults could be seen separating from their children. Motivated by their instincts to protect their family they turned their attention to those who had raised their hands, in hopes of bringing an end to this nightmare.

"You can't seriously be listening to this guy!" Kai's words carried an uncharacteristic tone of fear and desperation. He shifted his gaze to the man holding Tyson. "Get your hands off him right now before I remove them."

"I'm sorry" replied the man through sobs. "I've never hurt anyone before but I will if it means protecting my children"

Kai couldn't help but think that is seemed unlikely that a man of his size and build had never hurt anyone before. His muscles had muscles. The look in his tear-filled eyes and the sadness in his words were more than convincing. Kai knew that as long as he didn't try anything stupid, the man wouldn't hurt Tyson.

"Just… Just don't hurt him. Keep him safe. He's not your child but he's someone's child. Don't let him go and certainly don't let him do anything stupid." Kai refused to look Tyson in the eyes as he spoke to the burly man. He knew Tyson wouldn't approve and he didn't need to see the look of betrayal on Tyson's face to know it was there.

Kai looked out towards the chaos that had broken out in the crowd. The frightened audience had turned to a mob of angry parents; fueled by their drive to protect their children. He needed a better view to find his friends. Tyson was in good hands and with Tyson's unpredictability out of the way, Kai could focus on the real problem. He knew he had to save his friends but if he tried, Boris might blow up the building with everyone in it. Boris needed to be removed from the equation. He undoubtedly had some escape plan arranged in case he had to blow the place up. As long as Boris couldn't escape, the place was safe. He had to find Boris, fast.

Ray wasted no time once the crowd started moving. Mariah was in danger and he had to get to her and keep her safe. He looked down from his seat in the stands. Most of the people had cleared out in the rush to find the people on Boris' hit-list so he could see clear to the bottom row where Tyson was thrashing wildly about as he struggled to free himself from an arm that was almost as wide as Tyson himself. Tyson wasn't going anywhere and that meant one less person for him to worry about.

Just a few rows above Tyson, Ray could see flashes of Kai pushing his way through the crowd. Where could he going? If he's not helping Tyson, then he must have already made sure Tyson was safe. Kai wouldn't just leave his friends to die, but he wasn't heading to help them either. Where could he be going? Every second wasted on tracking Kai and Tyson was a second lost in protecting Mariah. Obviously she could protect herself and Lee would keep her safe as well but that wouldn't be enough against a crowd this big and this angry. Then it hit him. Kai had to be looking for Boris. He has the power and skill to stop the crowd but if he does, Boris could blow the place up. With the two wild-cards out of the equation, Ray felt safe to search for Mariah, Lee and the others.

In the center stands, Max fought to keep on his feet as he was tossed side to side by people rushing towards his friends. Parts from broken seats were scattered across the ground, making it difficult to get a proper footing to hold his ground and collect himself. Eventually he was able to clear a spot for his feet and brace his body against the mob. If anyone knew how to make a firm defense, it was Max. A quick glance up to the empty stands where Ray was seated, he found Ray standing alone, scanning the ground level and likely looking for Tyson and Kai. He watched Ray's gaze move higher in the stands. For a brief moment Ray looked confused. Then a smirk crossed his face right before he took off in the direction of the mob. Ray must have seen that Tyson and Kai were fine and that the best thing he could do was go help the others. With that in mind, Max realized that his best course of action would be to find a way to get the crowd under control.

Hiro and his grandpa stood back to back with bokken in hand as they batted their way up trough the stands until they reached their friend Mr. Dickenson. "Looks like we've found ourselves a real rowdy crowd here;, hey old friend?" Ryu's words were calm and spoken without fear despite their lives being at risk.

"Well that's one way of putting it." Mr. Dickenson replied with a reluctant chuckle. "Jokes aside I think we're in serious need of some assistance."

"Ah, donchya worry ma man. Young Hiro and I are more than a match for these folks. As long as yer with us, you'll be a safe as a kitten in a lion den."

"Uh, gramps; I hate to tell you but your analogy isn't exactly comforting. I'm feeling like there's three kittens and the lions a really hungry."

"Just hold yer form boy. Ain't no way anyone is gonna reach you if ya remember yer trainin." Ryu swung his bokken in all directions. Loud cracks rung out as it collided with any body parts that cross it's path, usually accompanied by a groan of pain from the person hit.

"Well I'm glad we're all so confident but can we find a way out of here now?" Mr. Dickenson's fear was becoming more apparent as he spoke.

"'Fraid not ma man. If we try to leave, this whole place might get blown sky high. All we can do right now is stay alive. I'm sure our boys will figure somethin' out. Hehehe! Just look at young Tyson down there. He's holding off that big guy all on his own. That's some fighting spirit right there. THAT'S MA BOY TYSON! YOU SHOW THAT BIG GUY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HE MESSES WITH THE GRANGER FAMILY!" He shouted encouragingly in Tyson's direction.

Ray managed to get through the crowd without much difficulty. Using the top of people's heads he jumped from person to person as if he was jumping across rocks in a stream. It wasn't long before he found Mariah hiding with her back perched against a half-broken pillar. A wave of relief washed over him as he approached.

"Mariah! Thank goodness you're okay. We need to get to a better spot. Where's Le-" His words seized as he reached her side. "MARIAH!"

Broken blood vessels lined her neck. The amber eyes which always shone with passion were dull and empty. She couldn't be dead; she's far too strong. Ray reluctantly pressed two fingers along a very dark bruise and held them for a moment. No pulse. He was too late. Carefully reaching one arm behind Mariah's back and the other under her knees, he lifted the lifeless body into his lap. Cradling her head in his arm, he held her as closely and as tightly as his shaking body would allow.

It took every bit of self control he had not to send Drigger roaring through the mob. The anger building in his chest frightened even him. Mariah didn't deserve to die; certainly not like this. If she had to suffer such a terrible death, nobody else deserved any better. The only thing preventing him from hunting down every person responsible for her death was the desire to hold Mariah in his arms as long as he could.

"I'm sorry Ray." The familiar voice tugged at Ray from deep within his mind. "I failed you and I failed Mariah,"

Ray opened his eyes to search for the source of the voice. It didn't take much looking. Barely three feet in front of him, was Lee sprawled on the floor in a tangled mess of his own limbs. "Lee! What happened to you?! Tell me who did this!"

"I'm so sorry. I told her not to raise her hand. I told her we could leave without even being noticed. She told me it wouldn't be fair to the others if she survived and that it would be heartless of her to abandon all the people in this stadium who don't need to die. Then when they attacked, she just gave up. She didn't want anyone to get hurt needlessly." He paused for a moment before continuing, "A lot of good that did me. We happened to be sitting next to some marines who were back from tour and taking their kids out. I tried to fight them off of her but they broke both my legs. I punched at their legs but then they dislocated both my arms. All I could do was watch the guy as he grabbed Mariah and –"

"Enough." Ray cut him off. "I don't need to hear anymore. Tell me what he looked like; the guy who did this."

"Ray, she didn't want anyone to die for her sake. If you fight them, you'll just end up like me, or worse. When she stopped breathing, the man placed her against the wall so she wouldn't get trampled. He made everyone leave and then he told me he was going to make sure the purple freak was taken care of once this was all over. He's not a bad guy Ray. He's a father trying to protect his child."

"I don't want to hear this!" The anger was building. Why was Lee being so difficult? He knows what the guy looks like so why wouldn't he say anything?

"You're not listening Ray! You don't have time to hunt for that guy!" Now Lee was pissed off as well. "Before he left, I begged him to kill me. I told him that I couldn't bear the shame."

"You idiot! If he had killed you too, then Mariah's sacrifice would have meant nothing."

"Hahaha- Oooww." Lee winced in pain as his laughter caused ripples through his broken and dislocated bones. "Alright, whoever said laughter was the best medicine never had broken bones." He paused for a moment to let the pain settle. "You're still the same old Ray. I still know how to get inside your head. It takes a cheesy line like, "I begged him to kill me" for you realize why she gave herself up. Ray, I know how badly you want to save the others, but if you do and Boris blows this place up, then Mariah's last wishes go up in flames along with it. Boris has us all exactly where he wants us. You need to find him and end this. I'll be right here when you get back. Hahah- Ooowww!"

"You're right; Boris is the one that needs to pay for this. Thanks Lee. I've got to end this." With that, Ray vanished from sight.

A loud ringing filled the air and with it, came a downpour from the sprinklers; someone had pulled the fire alarm. A large portion of the crowd broke off from the mob and headed for spots where the ceiling was missing so they could avoid the sprinklers. Tyson ceased his futile thrashing as soon as the sprinklers came on.

"Max, you're a genius!" With this much moisture in the air, Max and Draciel could easily make a barrier strong enough to keep everyone safe from an explosion and any debris.

"Hey! Man-zilla." Tyson strained his neck to look up at his captor. "You saw what my friend Max could do with just a little water in the air. I promise you that no explosion will be able to get through any shield he makes right now. We need to get everyone together so we can keep them all safe in case this place blows up. If you think that purple-headed monster is actually going to let everyone go, you're wrong; he only cares about himself. He really is a dick. But seriously, once those people are dead, everyone becomes an expendable witness."

"I know you're right but if he sees something suspicious we won't have time to protect everyone."

"So we distract him." Tyson's irritation was growing and he desperately trying to compose himself. "Look, I don't do the whole thinking ahead thing. I trust my friends and I take action. I'm sure they have a plan and all I can do is make it happen."

"Just promise me that my kids will be safe."

"You got it! And once this is over, I'll even teach them how to Bey-battle like a pro!" The giant man released his hold on Tyson who immediately gasped as his lungs found new room for air. "Alright, take your kids and go join the others in the center of the stadium under that nice new sun roof. I'll go convince the rest." Tyson turned towards the stands, adjusted his hat slightly, looked back at the mountain of muscle who now bore a gentle smile of hope and with a thumbs-up and a half grin, Tyson bolted towards the mob. He immediately tripped on his untied shoelaces, bounced his face off the floor a proceeded to spurt blood all over said floor. A moment later, his laces were tied and with his nose buried in his sleeve, he continued towards the top of the stands.

As Kai approached the announcer's booth where Boris had made his announcement, he noticed a familiar flickering in the window. Something in the room was displaying the virus that wiped Kenny's mind blank before he killed himself. Whatever it was, it had to go before he could risk going in there. Instincts took over; every movement felt natural as he drew his launcher and loaded his blade while running at full speed. "Dranzeeeeer!" He called for his bey as he separated ripcord from launcher. "Let's crush every monitor in that room", he instructed as Dranzer soared off ahead of Kai in a brilliant flame and through the window of the room Boris was hold up in. As Kai drew nearer, he could hear Boris' frantic voice.

"What the?! Who-? No, don't touch-!" A loud crashing sound drowned out Boris' voice briefly and then the flickering light disappeared. "NOOOO! I needed that! Get out of here you annoying insect! Stop breaking my things!"

Dranzer came whizzing back out the window, smashing a second hole in the glass as it exited and soared directly into Kai's palm just as he reached the door. Boris' voice carried a clear tone of panic as he muttered to himself, "I can still fix this." There was a moment of shuffling followed by some weird noises which emanating from the room. As Kai kick the door clean off its hinges and sent it splintering against the wall across from it Boris let out an exasperated sigh of frustration. "Oh come on! The door wasn't even locked! Was that really necessary?"

Boris whirled around to face Kai from the other side of the booth. He tried to position himself in front of what looked like an old computer monitor but it was hard for Kai to be make it out, with the amount of tape that seemed to be holding it together. The roll was still hanging from the side, swaying like a pendulum back and forth, occasionally bumping against the glass.

"Kai, it's good to see you again. Have you been enjoying my surprise main event?"

"It's over, Boris. There's nowhere for you to go. If you blow this place up, you'll be killed as well."

"Ahahaha! Silly boy! Did you really think I wouldn't expect you and your friends to come up with some plan to save everyone? You have ruined my plans in the past but there is one fact you seem to overlook even now as you stand before me. I have nothing to lose, and all I hope to gain is the satisfaction that you and your friends have suffered by my hand. In that way, I have already won. Anything from here on out is just a bonus."

Kai took a cautious step towards Boris, careful not to move too quickly or aggressively. All he had to do was get to Boris before he could hit any buttons or call the guards working for him. There was no way he could cross the room in time. He had to close the gap.

"Boy!" Boris' voice was firm. "I suggest you not take another step. Just moments ago, your small red-haired friend, Daichi came bursting though the door much like you just did, albeit he had the courtesy to leave the door in working order. Fortunately for me, I had this monitor here in a more functional condition and as you might likely guess, he has had a change of heart. Like your friend Kenny, he has orders to kill the others if they are not already dead in about 3 minutes from now. Then as an added bonus he will kill every remaining person he cares about as well. You can go after him if you'd like. He went out this door behind me so as not to be spotted by you. He should be joining the rest of the crowd right about now. You might be able to get there in time if you leave now."

Boris turned his gaze towards the broken window and watched as the audience scrambled from the sprinklers to the center of the arena where Max and Tyson were frantically trying to calm everyone and gather them together. Kai knew he needed to warn the others before Daichi could do something he would regret but if he left, Boris would escape and the whole situation could happen again somewhere else. Boris could not be allowed to leave and Kai was determined to make sure this would be the last time Boris would ever cause anyone trouble again. The tension hanging in the air seemed to take on a weight of its own; bearing down on Kai so much that he suddenly felt like he was struggling just to stay on his feet. Boris was just a few feet in front of him and yet he was powerless to do anything to stop the lunatic. All he could do was make sure Boris stayed put.

The soft "tap-tap" of approaching footsteps broke the silence and carried some of the tension away. The smug grin Boris had been wearing quickly contorted into a look of confusion and disapproval. Someone new was coming to interfere with his plans. Kai could see the fear work its way over Boris and reveled in it, despite the fact that Boris was still untouchable. With the swiftness of the steps, it could only be Ray about to enter the scene and that meant he now had a way to get his message to the others. Sure enough, a second later Ray rounded the corner and was at the top of the stairs leading to the announcer's booth, right next to Kai.

"Ray, I'm so glad you're here. I –"Kai's plea was cut short.

"He killed Mariah!" Ray spat the words as he spoke. "This bastard needs to be taken care of, NOW!"

Kai noticed blood dripping from Ray's fists which were clenched so tight, his nails had sunk deep into his palms. Ray's entire body was shaking with rage and his eyes seemed to be more ferocious than ever. Even his long black hair which was normally kept neatly together was now wildly askew like a wild beast. He was an animal out for blood and Boris was his prey.

"This man doesn't deserve the air he breathes." His words were barely coherent as he growled them out.

"Ray… Ray!.. RAY!" Kai's shout was finally able to get Ray's attention which he immediately regretted as the animalistic glare fixated on him. "Ray, I need your help." Any optimism Kai may have had was now drained from him and replaced by fear and desperation. "Ray, as long as I'm here, Boris can't leave and if we attack him before everyone is safe, he'll blow this whole building apart along with everyone in it. I'll stay and make sure he doesn't move but I need you to get a message to Max and Tyson or everyone is going to die anyways! Tyson, Lee, Max; they'll all be killed. You need to get down there and stop him"

"AHAHAHAHA! You are all so incredibly naïve." Boris broke out into a fit of laughter "You stupid, naïve children. You actually think I could convince any of those uptight guards to strap a bomb to themselves? You've got to be kidding me. Ever since you brats ruined my life, there isn't a person in this country who doesn't despise me. I was only able to adopt the girl through some cloaked underground trader who wanted some unusual bits of information from me. Nobody would hire me, feed me, give me shelter or even look at me and yet this unknown person offered me anything I wanted in exchange for some useless information… Information about you kids, I might add. It goes without saying, I obviously told him what he wanted to know and in return, he gave me all the things I needed to get my revenge on all of you. One bomb, a laptop, a ticket to this tournament and the girl to sweeten the deal. The hand virus was a creation of my own. Oh, and in case you were wondering, of course I got my money's worth out of the girl. Hahahaha! If you want to know where that bomb is, I slipped it into the purse of one of the women in the crowd during the commotion. It should go off any second now."

The color drained from the boys faces. Almost every person in the building was going to be inside Max's water shield and when the bomb goes off, that shield becomes a container for the blast. Every person they swore to protect will be killed and it will be entirely their fault. The guilt would hang over them for the rest of their lives. Daichi was just a bonus distraction to run out the clock. Boris really had won.

"Ray" Kai turned towards Ray, but he was already gone. "Ray," Kai muttered under his breath, "you need to hurry."

"Time is almost up. You can't stop the inevitable. That bomb will detonate and so many people will die; all because you refused to head my warning. I told all of you not to play hero and now those innocent people will die because of you! Oh and would you look at that," Boris' gaze was fixed on the window again. "It looks like Tyson is nice and secure under the shield as well now."

Kai's heart sank. There was no time to warn him. No hope that he would figure it out on his own and no telling whether or not Ray would make it in time.

Boris checked his watch, "forty-five seconds left. You better hurry to his side. What a shame it would be if his last time seeing you was when you left him behind to come after me. Or is making sure I die, more important than what he thinks of you?"

CRAAACK! The door behind Boris swung viciously on its hinged and exploded against the wall sending splintered wood in all directions. Through the opening came a familiar ruby-haired boy, dressed in his usual white and orange track suit.

"Kai! What's going on? I was in the bathroom and the sprinklers started going off. At first I thought there was a fire but there were a bunch of TVs showing everyone running around and gathering in the center of the arena. I didn't even hear anything until I took my earplugs out. When I heard the screams, I knew something was wrong. I figured taking a shortcut through the announcer's booth would be the quickest path to everyone and here you are. What happened? Why is he here? Why is everyone so damn loud?!"

"Tala! Stay with Boris!" As Kai instructed Tala his eyes fell to Boris who was now sprawled on the floor. A large chunk of wood from the door was protruding from the center of his chest. His eyes were completely glazed over and blood flowed from around the wood lodged in his body.

Boris tilted his head in Tala's direction and with the last of his strength he choked out the words, "The. Fucking door. Was unlocked." His eyes dulled and his body became completely still.

Kai turned on his heels, bolted out the door and down the steps to where Tyson was. There was no hope. He couldn't save Tyson but if he could get close enough, maybe Tyson would be able to see him one last time and know that he hadn't been abandoned. Tears flooded his face making it impossible to see but still he ran, as fast as he could towards his beloved. His lungs burned hotter than any flame he'd ever felt. Each beat of his hear pounded louder than any drum he had ever heard and his mind raced through memories faster than he could have ever deemed possible. He wished he could see Tyson's face but the tears were relentless. It didn't matter; as long as Tyson sees him. That would be more than he could ask for in this situation.

Max had just finished getting the last of the panic-stricken guests inside the large sphere of flowing water he had created when Ray suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Max!" He gasped for air. "The bomb is inside the shield. Boris planted the bomb on someone at random and it's going to go off any second. The blast is going to kill everyone in there." There was a brief pause as Ray realized that Max himself was not under the shield. "You were going to sacrifice yourself! You and Draciel can't keep the shield strong from the inside, so you were going to keep the shield going from out here to save everyone else"

"Ray, now is not the time for this. What should I do? If I drop the shield and the bomb goes off, then everyone will die anyways. There's nothing we can do." His blue eyes fell on Tyson and tears rolled down his face. _I'm sorry Tyson, but I'm going to at least save Ray and Kai. I know that is what you would have wanted._

From inside the shield the Tyson had finally managed to calm everyone down when the human mountain squeezed his way through the crowd towards him.

"You have to go," his tone was sharp and commanding. He leaned in as close to Tyson as his Goliath frame would allow and quietly whispered, "Your friend outside; I read his lips. The bomb is in here. You promised me that you would protect my kids." As he spoke, he removed an oversized belt from his pants. "If I try to leave, I will obviously be seen. The others will suspect something is wrong and then they will panic and try to leave as well. Go with my boys. Keep your promise to me." He pulled his two son's from the crowd and placed them next to Tyson. He wrapped his belt around the three of them, binding them together. "Get out of here!" He let out a massive groan as he hoisted the three boys with a single arm and threw them as hard as he could, through the flowing barrier.

Tyson and the boys hit the ground and skidded a good ten feet before coming to a stop. As the boys unfastened the belt and stood to look at their father, they saw him smiling back. As they smiled back, completely unaware of the reason for their father's actions, the muffled sound of an exploding bomb radiated throughout the stadium as the once clear blue water shield turned to a flowing sea of crimson.

* * *

 **RPS: *shudders* That was gory.**

Nawmay: That's why you got me to write it.

 **RPS: *reads it over* MOTHERFUCKER! Did you add a new villian into the story?!**

Nawmay: In case you get stuck ^-^

 **RPS: Lovely...time to re-plot everything. So my lovely readers because Nawmay made a hell of a lot new material, I have a lot of work cut out for me the next chapter. It basically has to be re-written. So I'll start on that and try to have it done within 2 weeks or so. Hopefully work cooperates. If I get it done sooner, I'll update. :) Please leave a reveiw telling us what you think of this twist of events.**


	58. Chapter 58

Disclaimer: I do not even own a strong work ethic, and you expect me to own an anime?

Hello everyone, sorry for being gone so long! I basically had house inspection after house inspection which ate my days off, zapped my energy and basically completely demotivated me to write anything half-decent. And even right now as I type, I have noisy neighbours knocking on our door about our cat. -_-#####

Then once all of that was out of the way, I had to collab with Nawmay to figure out this new villain he inserted into the story and that required some re-writing. And then I've basically spent the last three months finishing up the last chapters of this story in between work (extra shifts, extra duties) and being mama.

Then basically half-way through writing this chapter, a friend of mine was accused of second degree murder of a toddler, which delayed this chapter by another week as I dealt with many of our mutual friends messaging me completely disgusted and disturbed by the whole thing. I'm doing everything to stay out of the media at the moment, but the whole thing has been an absolute nightmare. I'm organizing a support group on Tuesday. *sighs*

 **HUGE MESSAGE** : IF YOU'RE EVER FRUSTRATED WITH A SMALL CHILD, PUT THE CHILD IN A **SAFE PLACE** AND **WALK** TO ANOTHER ROOM AND **CALM DOWN**. DO NOT SHAKE/BEAT/SCREAM/HIT THAT CHILD!

Hopefully this is up to standards, if not I promise to give this chapter a make-over whenever I decide to go back and edit the other chapters. Huge shout-out to my boyfriend for helping me math out the effects of the explosion.

For all intensive purposes of this fanfic, and to pose less harm to other characters... let's just say that Max's water shield is indestructible. There, authoress powers defeated math and probabilities. Fuck you math.

 **Warnings: This is not a light and fluffy chapter. This is meant to throat punch you in the feels. Reader Discretion is advised.**

* * *

Silence.

Nothing but cold silence as the dust particles settled over the ruined stadium.

Tyson's body trembled, his eyes staring at the bloody sphere in disbelief, his mouth agape.

 _'What?...What just happened?'_

"Tyson!"

At the sound of his name echoing throughout the arena, he turned his head slowly to see Kai running towards him. "Kai..."

The acrobatic Russian leaped from the stands and jumped down into the arena. "Are you okay?!"

"Y-yeah." He looked down at the two boys that were clutching to his tattered clothes, his eyes checking them over for cuts and bruises. "We're fine, thanks to...him." He longingly cast a look to the sphere.

"D-Daddy?" The little voice rang despairingly through the dead air.

"Where's Daddy?" the youngest child asked.

Tyson looked at the children at a loss for words and the reality hit Kai like a truck. That man he had talked to earlier...that man he had asked to keep Tyson safe; he had valued Tyson like his own child.

"Max!" Everyone looked up at the blonde who was still holding the shield with shaky hands. "Max, you need to let go."

"I-I can't. When I do, I'll see what I've really done." Tears were streaming down his ashen face.

"Then don't look. Just close your eyes and I'll take us both down, and let you know when it's safe to open them." said Ray, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, and giving a reassuring squeeze.

Max inhailed deeply. "Ok."

"Tyson, Kai! Cover those kids' eyes! They don't need to see it either."

The rivals nodded and turned the kids around. Kai placed a hand on the eldest boy's shoulder. "Starting from today kid, don't ever look back. The choices that you make from here on out will shape the man you will become. Just keep looking the future head on. You need to be strong for your brother."

The boy stiffened and nodded. While he may be only the tender age of 8, he understood what had just happened. After all, this was the second time he had felt the cold empty pain of loss. The first time was when his mother had died shortly after giving birth to his younger brother. Kai was right, his choices now effected the both of them. Gently he took his brother's hand into his. Later, he would have to explain to Mikey that both of their parents were in heaven, watching down on them.

Seeing that Kai had things under control, Ray turned his attention back to Max, "On the count of three. One...two...three...Let go!" Max relinquished control of the water barrier and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt Ray wrap a strong arm around his waist and together they jumped. They landed on the steel dish successfully. He felt Ray whisper into his ear, "Just don't look back, okay?"

But Kai had to see for himself the damage Boris had caused. He motioned for Tyson to keep an eye on the children and turned around, watching the barrier come down, steeling himself for anything.

Bile immediately rose into his throat.

The rifle green ash poured from the fallen barrier like a heavy fog over a lake, through the haze he could make out various small chunks of scorched carbon, among it scattered small shards of jagged and blackened bones in the eerie orange glow of the melted and twisted steel. The smell of ozone and burnt metal was thick, and suffocating. The heat pricked and irritated the fire master's eyes, helping him to shed tears for those who were lost.

Boris really had won this time.

"AHHHHH!"

Everyone's heads snapped towards the stands where they saw Daichi decapitating Tala with a long, serrated blade.

"Daichi!" Tyson cried in horror, his stomach churning, "What did you do?!"

"He's been brainwashed by Boris' program. He won't listen to reason." explained Ray.

Tyson's eyes widened. "Oh no!"

"Hehehehehe." Daichi cackled. He held up Tala's lifeless head that was still dripping blood from the neck. "Now who shall be my next victim?" His voice was distorted and unnatural. His feral, soulless eyes scanned over the group. "Should it be sweet little Maxie? The fearless White Tiger? Or loudmouth Tyson?" He raised the blood-soaked knife to his lips and licked off the crimson liquid. "I wonder which of you I can make scream the loudest."

" **I've had enough**!" As cold fear sunk into his heart, Kai's anger exploded and a massive ball of flame formed in his hands.

Panic washed over Tyson as he realized what was about to happen. "Kai, no! Wait!"

But Kai had already launched his attack, the fireball hitting Daichi directly.

Tyson, Max and Ray looked away as Daichi's body burned, his screams of agony ripping apart their hearts as they stood there frozen. At last the cries finally died and the charred body fell over with a _'thud'._

Tyson looked at his rival with hate-filled eyes. "Why did you do that? We could have saved him! He'd be back to normal in less than 30 minutes! We could have done something!"

"And what would we do in that 30 minutes Tyson? Pull our punches and try to dodge him? There's no guarantee that the effects of the program would wear off. What would you do then?"

"Yeah but-"

"Tyson. That wasn't Daichi anymore."

Their eyes met and the younger teen saw the anguish in those ruby eyes. Angry, Tyson collapsed to his knees and punched the ground. "Some heroes we are."

"We never could have known that the bomb was in the crowd. If we had, we might have had a chance to save everyone." said Ray, clutching Mariah's pink hair ribbon in his fist.

"I wish we could go back in time and stop this. Stop Boris as soon as he showed his ugly mug." Tyson's voice was becoming more and more broken with every word.

 _ **"Is that your wish Tyson?"**_

Everyone's blades began to glow and the four sacred beasts appeared before them.

"Dragoon?"

 _ **"Do you want to turn back time?"**_

Tyson jumped to his feet. "You can do that?!"

 _ **"At a price."**_ said Dranzer.

"What price?" demanded Ray, willing to pay nearly anything for a chance to see Mariah again.

 _ **"Us."**_

A stunned silence fell over them.

"W-What?" asked Tyson, praying he misheard.

 _ **"Turning back time will use up most, if not all of our power. When that happens, our spirits will need to rest."**_ explained Draciel.

"For how long?" asked Max.

 _ **"The last time something like this happened, we were asleep for a thousand years."**_

The boys froze.

"No! There has to be another way!" said Kai sharply, looking up at Dranzer with panic in his eyes, silently begging. But the phoenix shook her regal head slowly.

The tension became thick. They all had loved ones that had died in the chaos.

Max's parents.

Mariah.

Kai's mother.

Grandpa and Hiro.

But, the bitbeasts were apart of them. A comforting voice in the dead of the night. A gentle reassurance. A friend that was constantly with them that had their back, no matter how dire the odds. They were more than partners. They were a piece of their soul. Ray, Max and Kai had all felt the hollow emptiness when they had lost them in battle. They knew the heaviness of this sacrifice.

Ray stepped forward. "It's up to you Tyson."

"Me?"

"Yeah." Max nodded in agreement. "You and Dragoon have the strongest bond. Whatever you decide, we will stand with you until the very end."

"Really?" He glanced over to his rival. "Kai?"

Kai gripped his elbows tightly. "Just follow your heart Tyson." He trusted Tyson's judgement more than his own.

"I see." The pony-tailed boy bit his lip and cast his gaze to the steel dish as his friend's eyes fell on him, waiting anxiously for his decision. A small breeze blew, tousling his torn clothes and matted hair as a full minute past. Finally, he looked up at Dragoon with his trademark smile. "I'm gonna miss you buddy." The beast smiled and nodded, and Tyson rushed up to the majestic beast and gave it a huge hug. "Don't worry though, the four of us will take care of each other."

With the decision made, Ray walked up to the glorious white tiger and the bitbeast pounced and licked his face, he laughed and stroked the tiger's forehead. "Thank-you my friend."

" _ **I hope that you and Mariah will be happy. Tell Gallux that I'm sorry for not saying good-bye."**_

Ray hugged the guardian tighter. "I'm sure she will understand."

Max approached Draciel with tears running down his pale cheeks and hugged the great turtle's face tightly. "Thank-you for everything you have done for me." he sobbed.

Draciel smiled. _**"You have become so strong, you don't need me anymore. Believe in your own power Max."**_

Max cried harder.

Kai looked up at the phoenix who had been watching over him since his birth. Hundreds of emotions passed through his scarlet orbs.

 _ **"Try not to get yourself killed."**_

He smiled a watery smile. "Look whose talking." His voice was barely above a whisper, cracking more with every word.

Knowing her stubborn master, the Phoenix flew to him and he hugged her feathery body, she wrapped her wings around him so the others wouldn't see him cry. _**"Find happiness with Tyson."**_

"I will." His voice was high-pitched, his shoulders shaking as his tears dampened her feathers.

 _ **"**_ _ **Be strong Kai."**_

After several moments, they all pulled away and the bitbeasts gathered in the centre of the stadium. The winds shifted and their bodies were surrounded with a magnificent aura. _**"We're going to turn back time."**_ promised Dragoon.

 _ **"No one will have any memories of what happened here, except for you four."**_ explained Dranzer, glancing over at the two young boys who were watching the scene intensely.

 _ **"Oh, and one last gift."**_ said Draciel. The bitbeasts shut their eyes and the beyblades in their partner's hands glowed in response before transforming. _**"Kenny will want to see those. They're infused with the last of our power, so you will always have a piece of us with you."**_

"I don't get it." said Tyson, looking at his transformed blade with confusion.

 _ **"They'll obey your commands so you don't have to use as much of your spirit to control them."**_ explained Drigger.

 _ **"Unfortunately, we're running out of time."**_ reminded Dranzer.

Tyson and Dragoon locked eyes and Tyson grinned. "Don't even think about saying it Dragoon, because I _know_ that we'll see each other again."

The ancient beast chuckled. _**"Till we meet again, Tyson Kinomiya."**_

The four sacred beasts then began chanting an ancient incantation and the aura around their bodies got thicker and glowed brighter before slowly combining, emitting a bright white light that was slowly encompassing the stadium.

The teens were forced to shut their eyes.

* * *

The next time they opened them, Kai and Tyson were in the middle of the crowded stadium, lips locked, both of their eyes wide open as they tried to process everything.

"FUCKING FINALLY!" Tala's voice rang clearly throughout the stadium, and soon the hoots and hollers of fellow beybladers were drowned by claps, whistles and cheers from the fans.

It had worked! They had travelled back in time! Which meant-

"AAAIIIIEEEE!"

The deafening scream of the little girl silenced the crowd, and everyone looked over to see Boris holding her high, a victorious smirk plastered on his wrinkled face. "Thank you for getting their attention young lady. You did a remarkable job."

Anger swelled in Kai and Tyson's hearts. History was repeating itself again.

But this time they were ready.

Before the murderer could say another word, Drigger rose up and charged, snatching the little girl out of his grasp. Dragoon then came from behind and knocked him down onto the steel staircase beside the aisle, and pinned his weak body to the steps so he couldn't escape. Draciel soon located the bomb inside the purse of the woman that was seated next to Boris. He snatched the whole purse and threw it through the hole in the roof. Dranzer then flew up and grabbed the purse in her sharp talons and carried it high into the atmosphere before it detonated. The audience watched in awe as the sky lit up with red and orange flames.

Stanley Dickenson was the first to realized what had nearly happened. "Security! Arrest that man immediately and call the police!" At once twenty security guards came and placed the villain in handcuffs. The crowd watched in fascination, some parents covering their children's ears as the madman called his captures a list of very colourful expletives.

Up in the stands, Tala and Bryan were filming the entire thing with their cellphones, laughing their asses off. The only thing that would make this better were if they were the ones who were laying well-placed punches to the ass-wipe's head and stomach.

With the danger neutralized, Max, Ray, Tyson and Kai looked up at their bitbeasts who were fading rapidly. They all gave a small nod, and the bitbeasts disappeared, with them their picture faded on the their respective beyblade's bitchip as well.

Kai wrapped his hand around Tyson's waist and the younger rested his head on his broad chest, silently comforting each other as they whispered their good-byes. The coldness that filled their hearts was suffocating...

Once Mr. Dickenson was sure that everyone was safe, he took centre stage. "Well now that is out of the way, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great honour and pride that I-"

"Hold up Mr. D!"

Sighing, the chairman asked, "What is it this time Tyson?"

"Wouldn't it be more awesome for the former world champ to crown the new one?"

The director blinked before giving a low chuckle. "And here I was thinking that it would put a strain on your relationship. Yes, of course young man! You and Kai both get up here!"

The rivals stood tall as they walked across the arena. Mr. Dickenson handed the trophy to Tyson who then turned to his former captain. "Kai, after so many years of beyblading together, we've both come a long way. You deserve this buddy." He handed the large, golden trophy to the Russian and winked, "Don't get too used to it though; I'll take it back from you next year."

"Hn. You can go ahead and try." They shared a smile.

"Ok, no one cares about who won the stupid trophy! Kiss again already, goddammit!" Bryan hollered from the back corner of the stadium.

"Yeah, kiss!" encouraged Ray.

"KISS!" screamed Max.

"Kiss. Kiss. Kiss." Bryan and Tala chanted, with the rest of the crowd joining in. Soon all anyone could hear was the chant.

Tyson glanced at Kai with a cocky smile and wriggled his eyebrows. The enigma rolled his eyes and shouted, "FINE! If it will get you all to shut-up!" They leaned forward and captured each other's lips again. Electricity jolted up both of their spines, igniting their passions. The kiss deepened, their tongues sliding against each other as their fingers became entangled in each other's hair. When they finally pulled away for air, they were panting with flushed cheeks.

The audience went crazy.

That was enough for Kai.

"Kai! Woah, what the-" Tyson exclaimed as the Russian hoisted him up over his shoulder, giving him an excellent view of his perky ass.

"You and I have some unfinished business."

"But we had our beybattle! Kai, where are we going? Kai!" But his question was ignored as the World Champion carried his prize out of the arena.

Tala leaned back in his chair with a knowing smile. "Well he doesn't waste time."

Catching on, Bryan chuckled. "Hope Tyson is ready. He's going to be sore in the morning."

"Huh? Why is Tyson going to be sore?" asked Spencer with a confused look on his face.

Tala sighed. "Never mind. We should get out of here before everyone else decides to get the same idea and we have to fight our way through the parking lot."

Ian suddenly burst out laughing.

"Dude, care to share the joke?" asked Bryan.

"I just realized...Kai is World Champion. Remember how Dickenson forced Tyson to do all those appearances and crap?"

Tala grinned. All media outlets will be hounding the BBA to get an exclusive interview, and if they couldn't get one out of Kai, they now knew that Tyson was his boyfriend. Which meant either Kai agreed to the interview or risk having Tyson spill all his secrets to the world. "That poor bastard."

* * *

So finally done this chapter! Hopefully with a little luck I can get the next one out before the end of the month. Please leave a review! 2 chapters left and I can promise the next one you will LOVE!


	59. Chapter 59

Disclaimer: Do not own emo prostitutes or beyblade.

Hey, sorry once again for the delay...this time it was my car. I basically stayed at my boyfriend's for 3 days while it got fixed. I just got it back a few hours ago and now I'm here writing this chapter. I'm going to try and finish Borderline ASAP since I might be getting a new job right away here. Basically if I get this job, I'll be working both jobs until I find and train my replacement. So probably during that time, there will be no updates. But on the bright side, if I get this job, I'll be on a really good writing schedule. :)

 _ **WARNINGS:**_ Ok, this entire chapter is just one big long lemon. For those of you who have no idea what that means, it means this chapter is going to be an explicit sex scene, with boy's penises touching each other and each other's assholes. For any of you who don't want to read that, just don't read anymore and wait for the next chapter. For the kiddies who are under 18, I'm supposed to tell you that you can't read this but...do what you want. I'm a fanfic authoress, not a cop.

* * *

They were all over each other from the moment they made it through the front door. Mouth to mouth, talented, yet inexperienced tongues explored each other's wet caverns. Their bodies were against the wall, their wandering hands glided up and down, under each other's shirts and over sensitive skin. As Tyson tasted more of Kai, something in his head clicked. "You! You were the one who was in the closet with me!"

Kai chuckled lowly. "Took you long enough to figure it out." He re-captured his boyfriend's kiss-swollen lips. The bluenette groaned as he felt the other's tongue caress the roof of his mouth, his legs struggling to support him as he became lost in the fiery, dangerous fantasy that Kai was dragging him into. He suddenly found his wrists pinned to the wall above his head. He looked directly into Kai's eyes and was immediately caught in the smouldering gaze.

"I want you." Whispered Kai huskily, and to make himself perfectly clear, he ground his rock-hard erection against Tyson's equally hard member, the glorious friction threatening to undo his sanity. " _All_ of you."

Tyson gazed into the hungry eyes of his rival; All of his barriers were down. He could see every emotion in those crimson depths. The lust, the want, the love- and how dangerously close Kai was to completely giving into his desires, and he could clearly see the message;

If they went any further, Kai was not going to stop.

Tyson grinned. "Come and get me then."

Kai crushed their lips together and their tongues intertwined, fighting for dominance as their clothed cocks rubbed against each other, driving them further into madness. Not breaking the kiss, the Russian let go of Tyson's wrists and pulled the teenager's legs up and wrapped them around his trim waist, his body lifting the boy with ease as he turned and carried Tyson up the stairs and to his room. Gently he laid the bluenette on the king sized mattress and gently moved his lips and trailed kisses down the Asian's neck.

But Tyson wasn't content to just let Kai have all the fun. He gently bit down on his rival's pulse point and smirked as a throaty groan escaped, feeling the other's desire stiffen against his thigh. Testing a theory, he dragged his nails up, underneath the black t-shirt and across the ivory skin of his boyfriend's back, forcing a hiss out of Kai, and his cock to harden further, confirming his hunch. "Well that explains it." he laughed,"You get off on pain."

"Only when it's you." Kai moaned as pleasure and pain mingled, the heat pooling into his groin, making a tent in his plum coloured pants.

"Awww, do I make the big, bad Kai horny?" Tyson teased, only to have his mouth go dry a second later when he saw the predatory gleam flash in those intense rubies. His cheeks paled. "Oops."

The bluenette gasped as pain and pleasure assaulted his senses, older male had cupped his length and squeezed. The pressure was quickly becoming too much as his cock strained against his grey jeans. "Kai!" he gasped, his finger clawing at the bedsheets, his body torn between grinding into the hand and moving away to get sweet relief. "It's sensitive!" he whined.

"And?" deadpanned Kai, his eyes teasing, drinking up the sight of Tyson writhing underneath his hand as he added more pressure.

"You're driving me crazy!" said Tyson, exasperated.

"Oh am I? Then tell me what you want." He moved his hand just a fraction of a millimetre down and slowly grinded his hand up and down the pulsating flesh.

Oh God...what did he want? He could imagine a hundred different ways he wanted Kai at this exact moment, but as the pressure and heat began to build up in his insides, all he managed to say was, "Just make me cum!"

Kai smirked. "Gladly." In one fluid motion, the dual-haired blader unzipped Tyson's jeans and pulled off both his trousers and Dragoon boxers. Tyson moaned when the cold air hit his throbbing cock.

Ruby eyes drank up the sight of the half-naked teenager below him before deciding that he was still wearing too many clothes, and ripped the yellow wife beater from his body.

Tyson shivered as his torso was exposed to the frigid air and his rival's lustful eyes. He grinned and posed himself as sexily as possible. "Like what you see?"

A soul-sheering kiss was his answer.

Gently, Kai took the thick cock into his calloused hand and descended his mouth upon the flesh, giving the head a small, teasing lick, tasting the salty precum that made Tyson's cock glisten.

Electricity jolted up and down Tyson's spine as the muscle slowly licked up and down his shaft, soon his breath was coming out in pants and he fisted the sheets. He couldn't take the teasing any longer. "Kai! Please!"

Under normal circumstances, the enigma would have sweetly tortured his young lover more, but he had finally won back the title of "World Champion" that Tyson had stolen from underneath him 5 years ago...so he was in a pretty good mood. Taking mercy upon the teenager, he wrapped his lips around the swollen appendage.

OH! Oh this was pure fucking heaven! Tyson had nearly blown his load when the glorious heat engulfed him. His mind fell into a pleasure-induced haze as the hot wetness took him out of reality. Without thinking, he bucked his hips up to get more of that sweet heat, choking Kai.

Kai slammed his pelvis down on the mattress and ceased his menstruation, making the younger hiss at the loss of contact. A single disapproving glare made the boy realize his mistake and grin sheepishly. "Sorry Kai."

Satisfied with the apology, Kai went back to pleasuring his lover, discreetly pulling out a small bottle of lube from his back pocket.

Tyson groaned as he felt an intrusion push past his thick ring of muscle and enter his virgin body, but the pleasure of Kai's head bobbing along his shaft helped him adjust. After a few minutes though, a second finger was added, the boy hissing as the digits scissored and stretched his opening.

This didn't go unnoticed by Kai, so he decided to erase the pain by pumping Tyson's shaft expertly before relaxing his throat muscles and deep-throating the entire length.

"Ah!" Tyson was reduced to a moaning mess as his senses were overwhelmed by the double assault, and could feel himself teetering over the edge...

He whimpered as Kai withdrew his fingers and pull his mouth away.

The enigma chuckled. "Patience."

"But I was so _close_!" whined the bluenette.

Kai leaned down to Tyson's ear. "I've waited for this for _years_ Kinomiya. The only thing that's gonna make you cum tonight, is my dick."

Tyson swallowed thickly, his lover's words going straight to cock. Inwardly he prayed this wasn't another dream. Just another one of his fantasies gone wild. The teenager moaned as he felt a thick heat against his virgin entrance.

"Are you sure you really want this?"

Reality came crashing down on Tyson. This was his chance to say no. To walk away. To stop things before they went too far and they forever crossed that borderline between friends and lovers. He looked into captivating crimson with needy eyes and a confident grin.

"Fuck me Kai."

The Russian obliged, grabbing him by his narrow hips and pushing his length inside.

Tyson found himself paralysed by pain as the massive cock slowly inched its way inside him. He bit his lip and struggled not to scream. His insides felt like they were on fire! This was hell. Why didn't he fight to be on top? Just when he was going to tell Kai to forget it and pull out, he felt two soft lips against his cheek and a warm hand wipe away the tear that had fallen from his eye.

That's when something incredible happened. The connection that bonded the pair blew wide open.

Tyson gasped as he felt all of Kai's pleasure and Kai groaned as he felt all of Tyson's pain through the link that bonded their souls.

"W-What's going on?" moaned Tyson. "Dragoon and Dranzer are gone, so why would-?"

"Let's just make the most of it for now." groaned Kai as he started pumping Tyson's cock once again, trying to ease their pain.

Tyson groaned as his senses were devoured by agony and pleasure, as Kai pushed further into his body. Once he was fully sheathed, he waited for Tyson to adjust- an action that was torture for them both as the heat that was surrounding Kai's member was suffocating. Tyson knew how badly Kai needed to move.

But Kai stayed strong, fighting against his own instincts to just pummel his lover into the mattress. The pain he could feel through the link was the only thing helping him retain his sanity. After what seemed like an eternity, the pain finally ebbed away so that he could slowly pulled himself out, and gently thrust himself back in.

Kai's pleasure overwhelmed his pain, and Tyson groaned, his hands finding their way to the Russian's muscular shoulders, gripping them tight as the older male pulled out and pushed back in again. A few more thrusts and Tyson was soon moving his hips to the slow pace Kai had set, low groans escaping his throat as heat pooled backed into his nether regions.

Satisfied that Tyson was finally enjoying himself, Kai thrusted harder and the tip of his flesh brushed against a bundle of nerves deep inside. They both saw white. With all his might, the Russian angled his hips and slammed into the firm ass- hitting the bundle dead-on.

Both of their backs arched as Tyson screamed "YES!".

Their sweaty bodies moved against each other at a wicked pace, the sound of skin slapping against skin resounded throughout the room as the males got swept up in the heat of the moment.

"Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh god. Yes. Yes. Kai, yes!" Words and moans tumbled out of Tyson's mouth as he rode the waves of unfathomable bliss.

"Mngh. Tyson." Kai groaned. Feeling himself at the edge, he reached down and stroked Tyson's weeping manhood in time with his thrusts.

"KAI!" Tyson's body convulsed and spasmed as his cock shot out ribbons of cum over their torsos, his inner walls clamping down around Kai's flesh, sending him to his own completion. Kai's seed overflowed out of the tight hole, tricking down the tanned cheeks and onto the mattress. Having just enough sense to pull out of his lover, Kai collapsed onto the bed next to him.

They laid there and panted, filling their lungs with the sweet oxygen, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Allowing the gravity of what they had just done and experienced to fully sink in.

Tyson was the first to break the silence.

"All this time, and we could have been doing _that_?" He glanced over at his smiling lover. "How long have you even liked me in that way anyway?"

Such a question. When _did_ all the feelings begin? "Right after our first tournament, during the period where we had all separated. My grandfather shipped me off to some boarding school in England, and during those 4 months, there wasn't a day that I wasn't thinking of you." He traced his fingertips up Tyson's bare sides.

"I knew it! You did miss us!" teased Tyson.

"I missed your smile most of all."

"Awwww, you sap." The pair locked eyes and shared a passionate kiss.

"How about you?"

Tyson stared up at the ceiling in thought, "Right when you left us for Demolition Boys in Russian. I realized that your betrayal hurt like a knife in heart more than a knife in the back, and when you were just going to let yourself drown...I realized I couldn't imagine a world without you in it."

"Pfft. And you call me the sap."

Tyson playfully punched his boyfriend in the shoulder and a silence descended over them once again. "Soooo...you ready for round 2?"

Kai pounced.

* * *

So there's the lemon we've been all waiting for! I know that it may not be exactly what some of you were expecting, but this is what came out when I sat down to write it. Please leave a review and I'll be back soon with the final chapter of Borderline!


	60. Chapter 60

Disclaimer: For the last time...I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE!

Hello everyone, this is the last chapter of Borderline. This story has taken me just over 2 years to write. I wrote it all by hand then typed it and edited it on the computer. I think when everything is said and done...I think this story is about 600 pages (roughly 10 pages per chapter). What's funny is that this story was only supposed to be about 5 chapters when I first started writing it, but after chapter 3, I just really wasn't ready for the story to end and it evolved to this 60-chapter beast.

I just wanted to say thank-you to all of you dear readers who have made it this far. I hope I have made you all laugh, cry and fall in love with these characters all over again. A special thank-you to Tyka's Flower who has been here since chapter 1, who has reviewed every single chapter and whose been a never-ending pillar of support. Thank-you Miss Flower!

With that, I hope you guys enjoy this final chapter of Borderline! I will go back and edit some chapters in the near future just to fix spelling/grammar/ sentence structure/ etc.

Happy reading!

* * *

Kenny was thoroughly confused. Ray had confiscated his laptop right after the tournament saying that he would "explain it later", then he heard absolutely nothing from anyone except for his girlfriend for 3 whole days! Then out of the blue, Tyson calls him asking him to meet him at the dojo around noon today. So here he was, standing outside the Kinomiya family home with his equally perplexed girlfriend, praying that he would get his laptop back. He missed Dizzi.

Politely, he knocked on the door before entering, blinking in surprise to find Max sitting on Rick's lap and Mariah using Ray's thighs as a head rest.

"Hey what's up Chief?" asked Tyson cheerfully. The brunette's eyes drifted over to Kai, who was in his usual place leaned up against the wall, looking bored out of his mind. At least some things never changed.

"Oh my god!" shrieked Hilary in delight, pointing at Mariah and Ray. "Who asked who out?!"

Mariah smiled and sat up and thumbed towards her boyfriend. "He did, naturally."

Ray's cheeks coloured as Hilary gushed. "Oh I'm so happy for you!" She then looked over to Max and Rick. "And you guys?"

Max blushed and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Um, right after we left the stadium, Rick asked me out. His exact words were "You. Me. Dinner. 7:00. I'll pick you up." and after going to a noodle house, he drove me home, pinned me up against the door and kissed me. He then told me that he'd pick me up at 2:00 the next day for lunch."

Rick was sitting tall with pride. "I did it that way so he didn't have a chance to say no." Everyone in the room chuckled.

Max looked up at the body-builder with soft eyes. "Anybody would be crazy to say no to you."

Both Mariah and Hilary awed at that.

Smiling, Kenny looked around the room and said, "Well I'm glad to see everything got sorted out and everyone is happy." Everyone gazed at their significant others. "By the way, mind telling me why you took my laptop, Ray?"

Silence fell over the room.

Noticing the shift in atmosphere and the sombre looks etched across her friend's faces, Hilary stepped forward. "What's going on?"

Tyson was the first to speak. "Some heavy stuff happened Hil'. Mistakes were made and-" Hilary's mouth dropped as Tyson, Max, Ray and Kai held up their barren blades.

"The bitbeasts are gone." stated Kai, anger and pain lacing his words.

"What happened?"

The boys went into great detail about how Boris had tricked everyone into not attacking him and used a computer program to brainwash Kenny and Daichi into killing people and how, despite their best efforts, the bomb ended up killing everyone who was in the protective shield. "Dragoon, Dranzer, Draciel and Drigger sacrificed themselves to turn back time and stop Boris." explained Tyson.

"So now what?" asked Hilary. "Without your bitbeasts, what are you boys going to do with your life?"

"We're going to train." stated Kai.

"You're not going to quit beyblading?" asked Kenny in surprise.

"We all love beyblading too much to just give it up Chief!" declared Tyson. "Besides, someday we'll see our bitbeasts again, I just know it!" Tyson's positive energy radiated throughout the room.

"Yeah! No one is going to stop us from doing what we love." said Max.

"You've said it guys." nodded Ray.

"But there still is one more matter at hand." said Kai, getting up from his spot against the wall, laptop in hand. He strutted towards Kenny and gave him the device. "You need to delete the program."

Kenny took the laptop into his hands and shivered. "But what if I try to kill everyone or myself?"

"Boris said that the program only made a person susceptible to any command and only for 30 minutes. If you do somehow become brainwashed, it doesn't matter because no one here will tell you to kill anyone."

Kenny took a deep breath. "Then I'll try." He sat down on the floor and opened up the computer, however as soon as the computer started up, the screen started flashing and Dizzi's distorted voice could be heard through the speakers.

 _ **"H-help...C-Chief..."**_

"Dizzara!" Thinking quickly, the young genius pulled out his iphone and charger and plugged it into the laptop. "Quick! Escape Dizzi!"

All the lights flickered in the room, and there was a brilliant flash of light before the screen suddenly went black.

"D-Did it work?" asked Tyson, leaning over to see the mobile device.

Kenny yanked the cord out of the USB port and turned on the phone. "Dizzi, speak to me!"

"Hey Chief, that was a close one!"

Tears started rolling down the boy's cheeks. "You're okay!"

"Oh yeah, it's just cramped in here is all."

"You'll have to make-do until the laptop is safe for you to return to." He placed the phone in his breast pocket and turned his attention back to the tainted electronic, restarting it. Once his home screen finally loaded, he went to his "Recent Files" and a file named "Operation One" was at the top of the list. He dragged the file over to the "Recycle Bin", then emptied it.

The whole screen turned to static.

"Shut your eyes!" shouted Kai, but it was too late. Kenny's body had become rigid.

Ray sighed and closed the laptop. "Well, we're back to square one."

"Not really." said Tyson, "I mean, we got Dizzi out right? So why does he need to keep that hunk of junk anyways?"

Everyone glanced at each other. Tyson had brought up a good point.

Ray stared at the spaced-out Kenny. "So, do we just ask him if he needs anything from the laptop then?"

"Couldn't hurt." said Max.

Kai chose his words carefully. "Kenny, is there anything you need off this laptop?"

"Since my bitbeast has been safely removed, I do not require anything from this electronic device, since all my files have been backed up onto disks."

Everyone let out a sigh. "Good Ol' Chief thinking ahead."

"In that case-" Kai took the laptop from Ray and tucked it under his arm.

Ray narrowed his eyes. "And why do you want it? Shouldn't we destroy it?"

"I'm going to have my team rip the file apart. Boris defeated us too easily with this virus. I'm going to see if there is a way to reverse the effects."

Max nodded in understanding. "That's a good plan. At the very least you won't let it fall into the wrong hands, right Kai?"

"Exactly."

Tyson waved a hand in front of Kenny's face. "So what do we do with him?"

Everyone exchanged glances. On one hand, forcing someone to do anything against their will was wrong but...

...making the mousey brunette say Sailor Moon lines was way too good to pass up!

About 15 minutes of everyone giving Kenny ridiculous, (harmless) orders, Gramps poked his head into the dojo, interrupting Kenny's ballet routine. "Hey lil' dudes! There's some of your homies outside looking for ya."

Tyson blinked. "Someone is looking for us?"

Everyone, excluding Kenny, went out to greet their guests, surprised to see Crusher and Ming-Ming standing outside. Tyson greeted them with a huge smile and a friendly wave. "Hey guys, I haven't seen you since the Battle Royal!" He rubbed his finger underneath his nose. "You really got us good Ming-Ming."

"Yeah, you were doing so well in the standings. Why did you drop out?" asked Ray.

"Um, well you see..." a blush was creeping onto the giant's cheeks, catching Kai's interest.

"We're pregnant!" said Ming-Ming joyfully.

"P-Pregnant?!" asked Tyson in shock.

Everyone was silent for a moment, before Max stepped forward. "Congratulations!" He shook Crusher's hand.

Ming-Ming beamed. "Oh I knew you guys wouldn't be judgemental!"

"So that's why you dropped out?" asked Ray.

"Yeah." Confirmed Crusher, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Since so many players were being sent to the hospital, I didn't want Ming-Ming to get hurt or lose the baby, so I begged her to drop-out."

Kai looked at the couple with admiration. Ming-Ming was still a teenager and Crusher was barely a legal adult, and yet they had still made very mature decisions and put the baby's needs above their own. Ming-Ming was a passionate beyblader, so that decision didn't come lightly. "So you're keeping it then?"

"Yeah."

"But, how is that going to work?" asked Tyson. "Don't you guys live on the opposite sides of the planet?"

"Well, Ming-Ming doesn't really have a supportive family, so she's coming back with me and we're going to raise the baby in my village. They've already started building a house for us, they're so excited." Crusher placed his arm around his girlfriend.

"We're just coming to say good-bye and to thank-you."

"Huh, what did we do?"

"Tyson, you taught us what real team spirit was and made us realize that Boris was a bad guy to work for." explained Ming-Ming.

"Well I'm happy to be of help. If I'm ever in Africa, how about I call you two up for a beybattle?" he extended his hand.

"We'd love that." smiled Ming-Ming.

Crusher ignored the hand and placed his massive arms around Tyson's lean body. Tears were streaming down his face as he spoke. "Thank-you for not shunning us."

"Awww, don't worry big guy. You and Ming-Ming will be great parents." encouraged Mariah.

"Yeah! Bring your little one to the next tournament, I'm great with kids!" offered Max.

Crusher released Tyson, stood up and wiped his eyes. "Thank-you all."

Kai walked up to Crusher and shook Crusher's hand. "Good luck."

Crusher and Ming-Ming soon left the dojo, and the petite bluenette girl hailed down a taxi. "So time to go back to the hotel?" She opened the rear passenger door but realized that Crusher wasn't behind her. Turning around, she saw him standing in the middle of the sidewalk, looking down at something in his hands, tears once more streaming down his cheeks.

"T-They're so _nice_!" he sobbed.

Confused, the expecting mother stepped towards her boyfriend and her own eyes became misty. In his hands was a cheque for $20,000. She looked down at the corner and saw the name 'Kai Hiwatari'. "He really isn't as cold as he pretends to be, is he?"

Crusher looked up at the clear blue sky. "Not at all."

* * *

"Hehehehehehe. FINALLY! I can add Kai's scarf to my collection!" He laugh was a terrible, wheezy croak. Pressing the silky fabric to his nostrils and inhaling deeply, his beady eyes grew wide with excitement. "Excellent! You can still smell his cologne!" Wrapping the scarf around his lanky neck, on spindly legs he slowly descended down the staircase; The stairs squeaking and groaning underneath his large feet. With a pale boney hand, he slowly opened the door to the basement and flicked on the light.

The room looked like it was created by nightmares. The lone light from a computer monitor reflected off the glass jars that lined the walls and various shelves. If that wasn't creepy enough, there were hundreds of pictures and posters strewn around the room of each of the boys. Kai and Tyson at a restaurant. Ray meditating in a waterfall. Max just walking down the street. Kenny eating a bowl of noodles. The jars seemed harmless enough, but should one take the time to read the labels:

 _'Tyson's Hair'_

'Used Kleenex by Max'

'Ray's headband'

'Water Bottle that touched Kai's lips'

Getting the fuck out was the optimal decision.

"I can't believe that guy didn't want money for this! It would easily sell for $10,000 on eBay! But a laptop, a few miscellaneous materials and a girl? What a steal!"

He passed by a picture, which was him, clean-shaven, looking like a completely normal person with his arm draped around a woman with long blonde hair and in her arms was a newborn wrapped in pink. He glanced at the photograph and growled. "The little brat made too much noise anyways." His eyes travelled downwards and he grabbed his greasy, wiry hair in agony. "NO! I can't believe she was down here! Touching things with her _ **filthy**_ little hands!" He quickly grabbed the glass jar that was labelled, _'Tyson's Toothbrush_ " and started viciously scrubbing the little fingerprints off the glass with a blue rag, all the while cursing his daughter under his breath. When the glass once more gleamed, he removed the scarf from around his neck and placed it in a plastic bag and sealed it, before hanging it up in the closet. "At least I don't have to deal with that _**annoyance**_ anymore."

He looked up at the 6ft poster of the Bladebreaker team and pushed his rectangular lenses back on the bridge of his crooked nose. "But of course, none of these trinkets compare to the ultimate collector's item...the beyblades of the Bladebreakers!"

Underneath the poster were four empty cases, lined with black velvet, just big enough to fit an MS beyblade.

* * *

Kai drummed his fingers impatiently against his elbow as he sat in the hard, steel chair in the cold, empty room. His glare was intensely transfixed on the only door placed in the corner of the room. He sat there for twenty minutes before the door finally opened. For the first time in nearly 6 years, he came face-to-face with the man who was responsible for his childhood torment, and judging by the look on his grandfather's face, he was less than pleased to see him as well.

"What do you want boy? Did you already make a mess out of the company I spent my whole life building from the ground up?" The prisoner asked gruffly, sitting down in the chair across from him.

The young Russian could feel his blood boiling. All this time, and still the company was the only thing Voltaire cared about. He narrowed his fiery eyes, satisfied when he saw the guards flinch. "Look, I'm not going to waste any more of my time in this hellhole than I have to, so I'm only going to ask this **once**." Slamming his hand on the steel table, he leaned forward, close enough so his nose was nearly touching Voltaire's and he could smell the stale toast on the old man's breath. His body quaked with anger as he spoke. "Where _**is**_ my father?"

 **THE END.**

* * *

Yup, you guessed it! Borderline is getting a sequel! The title of the new story will be **"Breach"**. I have 5 chapters done already and currently half-way through chapter 6. I want to write at least 20 chapters before posting it. If all goes well, then I should be able to have the first chapter up by Christmas. I want to finish the rest of my stories too before I post it. So "Twisted" and "Breathless" are next on my list. Thank-you all for reading this, and remember to leave a review telling me what you thought of this ending and to hurry up and write the sequel! Look forward to seeing you all soon! ~RPS


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